STAVANGER, Norway, Feb. 11 (UPI) -- Norwegian energy company Statoil said work at its Deepsea Atlantic oil rig near the Gullfaks field in the North Sea was disrupted after a gas "incident."
Statoil said it evacuated the crew on the platform briefly after an incident on the rig was reported. The company said normalization efforts were effective within 30 minutes of the incident Thursday afternoon and work had returned to normal.
"When the blow-out preventer was opened after the closure and mud circulated, gas was registered in the mud processing unit on the platform," the company declared. "The well control system was then immediately closed down in line with procedures."
Statoil is under fire from the Norwegian Petroleum Safety Authority following safety concerns at the Gullfaks field. The Deepsea Atlantic was examining a discovery close to Gullfaks but the company said the work there was considered an "independent exploration prospect" that wasn't connected to the main Gullfaks reservoir.
"Statoil will closely examine the incident and is dispatching its own personnel and personnel from drilling operator Odfjell Drilling to conduct investigations," the company said. "The team will also determine the final classification of the incident."
