Triangle Energy has confirmed that an interruption to production occurred on Tuesday at the Cliff Head Alpha offshore platform located approximately 14 kilometers offshore in the Perth Basin, around 300 kilometers north of Perth, Australia.
Triangle Energy informed on Wednesday, July 25 that severe weather and sea conditions caused a small crack in the flow meter (Coriolis) on the CH6 Well resulting in a loss of produced fluid (a mix of water and oil) and the interruption to production.
Triangle said it responded immediately, in accordance with the National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority (NOPSEMA) accepted Oil Pollution Emergency Plan (OPEP). Under the National Plan for Maritime Environmental Emergencies, the incident is classified as a Level 1 (low level) oil spill, which is in the range of zero to 10,000 liters. Current estimates reflect the lower end of this range.
Triangle’s Person-In-Charge observed the loss of produced fluid during an inspection on the platform at 7:20am and immediately shut down the affected well. Production from additional wells was shut down at 7:45am while an engineering investigation started.
The company notified all Regulatory Authorities including NOPSEMA, the Department of Transport (DOT), the Department of Mines Industry Regulation and Safety, and the Australian Maritime Safety Authority and continues to liaise directly with them.
Triangle noted it is implementing oil pollution mitigation measures and strategies which reduce potential environmental impacts of the spill. The company has activated its contracts with The Australian Marine Oil Spill Centre (AMOSC) in support of ongoing management of the incident.
At this stage, Triangle is of the opinion that environmental impact will be negligible due to containment on the platform itself and the extreme sea conditions which naturally dissipate this type of fluid. The company will continue to implement its OPEP until clean-up measures have been confirmed.
Triangle concluded that there is no risk to staff safety and the company will continue to assess the situation, weather conditions, and impact on environment.
This is the second production interruption for a well on the Cliff Head platform in less than two months. Namely, a technical issue with well CH12H caused a production stop back in late May.
It is also worth mentioning that, earlier this month, Triangle identified exploration prospects near its Cliff Head field that could hold a prospective volume of 29 million barrels. This was over 80 percent increase compared to a previous estimate of 15.7 million barrels.