Maersk given safety order after fatal December rig accident

Jan. 4 (UPI) -- Maersk Drilling has until next week to let safety regulators know how it will address shortcomings, a Norwegian agency said after a fatality in the North Sea.

Aker BP, which serves as the operator at the Tambar oil field in the Norwegian waters of the North Sea, said a "serious accident" on board the Maersk Interceptor drilling rig left one person dead and another injured after they fell into the sea while conducting maintenance work.

Both workers were employed by Maersk Drilling.

On Thursday, the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate issued a corrective-action order for the Norwegian subsidiary of Maersk Drilling, calling on the company to examine how it used portable lifting equipment like hoists and cranes and identify any risks.

"The deadline for compliance with this order is set for Feb. 28," the regulator said in its order. "Maersk Drilling Norge AS is requested to present a plan for complying with the order no later than Jan. 11."

When christened in 2014, the Maersk Interceptor was the largest rig of its kind in Norway. The rig, built in 2013, is designed to operate in extremely harsh environments.

Maersk had no public comment on the PSA's order. After the incident, Aker BP CEO Karl Johnny Kersvik said the company what make all of its resources available during the investigation and do its "utmost to identify the cause."

PSA investigators were on the rig from Dec. 9-13 investigating the accident.

Aker BP announced plans in March to develop the Tambar field using the Maersk Interceptor, which had two wells planned for the fourth quarter. When announcing the $204 million investment, the company said it was a major milestone that would extend the life of the field to 2028.