OSLO: Norwegian oil and gas producer Statoil ASA said it would re-evaluate risks related to faulty risers at a number of fields off Norway following a Saturday gas leak at the Visund field.

Statoil had said "limited" amounts of gas leaked for nearly five hours from a riser the pipe that carries oil and gas between the seabed and platform on the Visund field on Saturday.

"There are no observations that would indicate that any other risers are damaged at this time," Stat-oil said in a statement on Monday.

Statoil has carried out a risk assessment of all such risers on other platforms, and we do not consider there to be any danger from continued production from these installations.

However, the company will re-evaluate these risk assessments in the light of yesterday's incident.

The leak took place one day after Statoil shut Visund field to investigate international damage to risers. On April 1, Stat-oil also shut the Njord field for the same reason.

Statoil said that the Snorre B platform off Norway has the same technical solution for risers as those on Visund and Njord, but these have already been inspected, and three of the pipes have been replaced.

It said there were "equivalent" risers in operation on five other installations where Statoil is operator: Veslefrikk, Snorre A, Norne and Aasgard A og B.

"The risers on these installations have other technical solutions and other operational conditions than Visund and Njord.

This reduces the probability of a change in pressure leading to damage to the risers," it said.

Njord produces some 70,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boed) and Visund produces about 50,000 boed.

            

COPYRIGHT REUTERS, 2011

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