Seven
offshore platforms shut down
By Louis B Homer, South Bureau
Trinidad Express
Port
Spain
Petroleumworldtt.com
05 27 07
State-owNed oil company Petrotrin has shut down seven offshore platforms operated
by Trinmar to make sure that they are safe.
The move comes in the wake of an explosion on
one of the platforms earlier this week, in which
a worker was killed and two others were injured.
Petrotrin, the parent company of Trinmar, said
the shutdown was to assess the integrity of the
installations on the platforms, which are in the
Soldado field off Point Fortin.
It said the management team of Trinmar's operations
made the decision in keeping with the company's
position on zero tolerance with regards to safety
in its operations.
A
Petrotrin statement said the assessment exercise
of the platforms would continue "until all
potential nonconformances have been rectified".
It also said the action was taken after mutual
discussions with the Oilfields Workers Trade Union.
Petrotrin said it was too early to assess the
production shortfall as a result of the closure.
Communications
manager Arnold Corneal said: "Maybe
in three or four days time we would know about
the shortfall."
Corneal said the shortfall from the wells on the
platforms would be compensated by an increase in
land production.
However, the union feels that the shutdown decision
was harsh.
Ancell
Roget, OWTU's first vice president, said: "We
are not entirely in agreement with the course of
action taken by the company. We feel that the company
is capitalising on the number of accidents that
have occurred recently." (See page 9)
He
added: "What is needed is further dialogue
on safety and employment of private contractors
who are not trained to carry out certain operations."
Trinidad
Express
Saturday, May 26th 2007
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