Norway’s offshore safety watchdog, the Petroleum Safety Authority (PSA), has carried out an audit of Statoil’s barrier management at the Kvitebjørn field, offshore Norway.
PSA said on Wednesday that it carried out an audit to verify if Statoil’s management and follow-up of barriers complies with the company’s and the authorities’ requirements.
PSA identified several non-conformities regarding design loads for fire, pressure control equipment, alarm load in central control room and transfer of experience.
In addition, four improvement points were identified regarding barrier management (barrier strategy), training and system documentation, knowledge of performance of barrier element (BOP) and suspension of cables in fiber straps.
PSA said that Statoil has been given a deadline of June 6, 2016 to report on how the non-conformities and improvement points will be dealt with.
Kvitebjørn is a gas and condensate field east of the Gullfaks field in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea, about 140 km west of Bergen. Water depth at Kvitebjørn is approximately 190 meters.
The facility has been developed using a fixed platform with a tubular steel jacket and is fully integrated, comprising a derrick, process facilities and living quarters. The plan for development and operation (PDO) for the field was approved in 2000 and production began in 2004. Since 2014, Kvitebjørn has received condensate from the Valemon field.