Total gets green light to restart North Sea gas field

Oil and gas firm Total has been given clearance to resume production at its Elgin gas platform (pictured) nearly a year after a major leak was found. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) gave the go-ahead and said it has “accepted the safety case” for the Elgin installation. Located 150 miles east of Aberdeen, the […]

Fire ‘still raging’ at UK’s biggest coal mine

A huge underground fire is “still raging” at the UK’s largest working coal mine, casting serious doubts on whether it will be able to re-open in future. The major blaze first began as a smaller fire on Friday afternoon prompting all staff at the Daw Mill Colliery in Warwickshire to be evacuated. The fire continues […]

Gulf of Mexico-style leaks continue to drop

The number of offshore oil and gas leaks which caused the major blowout at BP’s Macondo rig in 2010 is continuing to drop, new safety statistics revealed today. The total number of major and significant hydrocarbon releases in 2011/12 fell to 52 compared to 73 last year, the lowest releases for the last ten years, […]

Public ‘find it hard to trust government on nuclear’ say MPs

The public don’t fully trust the government when it comes to nuclear power and shale gas. That’s according to MPs on the Science and Technology Select Committee who have concluded the public don’t see the Government as an “impartial” source of information about risks linked to the energy sources. The MPs suggest the UK Government’s […]

UK nuclear has no “serious” weaknesses

The Office for Nuclear Regulation has confirmed the UK’s non-power generating nuclear facilities are safe after “robust and challenging” stress tests were carried out. The tests were requested last year by chief nuclear inspector Mike Weightman following last year’s accident at the Fukushima plant in Japan. Mark Foy, a senior inspector at the Office for […]

BP shuts down small oil leak off Shetlands

BP shut down oil production at an oil field around 200km to the west of the Shetlands on Sunday. The British oil producer confirmed the leak was caused by a hairline fracture to a fitting on a subsea pipeline on the Foinaven Field. BP said in a statement: “The Coastguard, Police, HSE and DECC were […]

Government happy with Shell’s North Sea clean up

The Government has welcomed the news that Shell has successful vented remaining gas from the stricken Gannet pipeline. Between the 10th and 19th of August this year, the pipe released 218 tonnes of oil into the North Sea Hugh Shaw, the Secretary of State’s Representative (SOSREP) for Maritime Salvage and Intervention said he was happy […]

Restrictions on Shell called for after safety record revealed

Following reports of Shell’s poor safety records held by the government’s Health and Safety Executive, WWF Scotland has called for an end to the company’s North Sea drilling. Dr Richard Dixon, Director of WWF Scotland said: “Revelations over Shell’s own concerns about the Gannet field and about a series of prosecutions and warning from the […]

Industry and Government rebuff oil and gas safety fears

The North Sea industry has reacted defensively to comments made by Adam Ma’anit in the Guardian newspaper suggesting that a more serious disaster is only a matter of time following Shell’s recent spill. Adam Ma’anit wrote in The Guardian on Wednesday that the UK Oil and Gas Industry was a “ticking timebomb” and that ageing […]

New safety standard for renewables industry

RenewableUK, the country’s largest wind and marine energy trade association, has agreed a safety accord with the HSE and Crown Estate. The safety rules are designed to make it safer to operate in the offshore wind and marine sectors and its the first such agreement anywhere in the world. The accord is designed to do […]