NEO Power Manufacturing UK Restricted has been fined GBP 100,000 ($123,674) for breaching its mixed vent consent for the Donan, Lochranza, and Balloch fields, round 200km northeast of Aberdeen, the North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) just lately introduced in a press release posted on its web site.
“The venting consent (issued for 1 January to 31 December 2022) allowed for 1.035 tons of venting per day, equal to an annual restrict of slightly below 378 tons,” the NSTA mentioned within the assertion.
“However on 1 November 2022 the corporate admitted that the venting consent had been exceeded on 21 March of that yr, and that it had exceeded the utmost annual venting consent by roughly 1,200 tons,” it added.
In its assertion, the NSTA mentioned its investigation has rigorously assessed the breach and the explanations for it.
“The NSTA discovered that on the outset of 2022 NEO incorrectly allotted chilly flare (venting) volumes to its flare consent,” the group famous.
“The problem remained undetected by NEO till October 2022. NEO engaged overtly with the NSTA following its identification of the problem and utilized promptly for a revised consent,” it mentioned, including that NEO has co-operated with the investigation.
“In reaching a choice on the breach and the suitable degree of positive, the NSTA decided that NEO had proven an absence of oversight in failing to detect the breach for seven months, which, furthermore, urged an absence of acceptable inner oversight mechanisms,” it continued.
The NSTA famous in its assertion that it has produced steerage with the goal of trade eliminating pointless and/or wasteful flaring and venting and supporting the drive to internet zero, which it mentioned it expects operators to comply with.
“The OGA Technique features a requirement for trade to scale back greenhouse fuel emissions from sources similar to flaring and venting to help the drive to internet zero,” the NSTA mentioned within the assertion.
“To help that, the NSTA screens efficiency and works with trade to scale back emissions. In September 2023, we reported that North Sea emissions had been lower for 3 years in a row, and there had been a 23 % drop in complete emissions between 2018 and 2022,” it added.
“The OGA Plan, revealed on 27 March 2024, beneath the OGA Technique, locations additional emphasis on emissions discount requiring trade to undertake electrification or different low-carbon measures to scale back manufacturing emissions,” it continued.
Within the assertion, Jane de Lozey, the NSTA Director of Regulation, mentioned, “producers carry out an important job in supporting UK safety of provide, however they have to accomplish that inside the consents they’re given”.
“We welcome the trade’s sustained efforts in guaranteeing that emissions are falling yr on yr, noting that flaring and venting have been decreased by nearly half since 2018,” de Lozey added.
“Nonetheless, we take the instances the place regulatory obligations should not met very critically and don’t hesitate to take agency motion, as this positive demonstrates,” the NSTA director continued.
Rigzone has requested NEO Power and trade physique Offshore Energies UK (OEUK) for touch upon the NSTA assertion. On the time of writing, neither group has responded to Rigzone with a remark but.
In December 2023, the NSTA introduced in a press release posted on its web site that Repsol had been fined GBP 160,000 ($197,879) for flaring and venting greater than 73 tons of fuel.
The NSTA outlined in that assertion that this was “the very best positive the NSTA has issued thus far for emitting greenhouse gases into the environment with out permission”.
When requested for touch upon that NSTA assertion, a Repsol spokesperson advised Rigzone again in December final yr, “we’ve accepted duty for unauthorized flaring and venting at our Auk North, Halley, and Fulmar fields”.
“We co-operated totally with the NSTA’s investigation and have taken steps to mitigate the opportunity of any future breaches,” the spokesperson added on the time.
The NSTA additionally introduced in December 2022 that three operators had been fined a complete of GBP 265,000 ($327,737).
In April that yr, the NSTA introduced that it had fined Shell UK Restricted GBP 50,000 ($61,823) and served it with a sanction discover for breaching 5 discipline manufacturing consents. When requested for touch upon the matter, a Shell spokesperson advised Rigzone on the time, “we take our regulatory commitments very critically and on this event we fell quick”.
“We now have undertaken an inner assessment and acted on its findings, in addition to cooperating with an investigation by the regulator. We could have common critiques with the NSTA and worth this collaboration,” the Shell spokesperson added.
In July 2021, the NSTA, then named the UK Oil and Fuel Authority, introduced that it had fined BP plc GBP 50,000, and served the corporate a sanction discover, for breaching a license situation by failing to report the progress and outcomes of two prolonged effectively assessments. On the time, BP didn’t instantly reply to an emailed request from Rigzone searching for touch upon the corporate’s positive by the OGA.
To contact the creator, e mail andreas.exarheas@rigzone.com