HSE investigating as delayed Tolmount project plagued by oil and gas releases

HSE investigating as delayed Tolmount project plagued by oil and gas releases

© Premier Oil

The platform used for the main Tolmount field development.





Investigations are ongoing into a series of oil and gas releases at Harbour Energy’s problem plagued Tolmount project.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) confirmed it is “engaged with ongoing intervention” work relating to four incidents at the North Sea field.

On May 16, there were two hydrocarbon releases (HCR) at Tolmount, as well as a release to sea of oil or offshore chemicals.

That was followed by a further HCR at the project on September 21.

An HSE spokesperson said: “The incidents, relevant to the installations and dates identified, were reported to HSE and inspectors are engaged with ongoing intervention work in relation to them.”

London-listed Harbour (LON: HBR), the result of a merger between Premier Oil and Chrysaor, revealed earlier this year that first gas from Tolmount had been delayed.

Production start-up had been expected at the end of July, but it is now on the cards for “around year end”.

Announcing the news in July, Harbour blamed the delay on faults with offshore electrical systems that had cropped up during final commissioning and testing.

As a result, it struck Tolmount output from its full-year guidance.

A source alleged