Fire Breaks Out On Vietnam’s First Offshore Oil Platform Decommissioning Project, 1 Dead & 7 Injured

A fire broke out on the Song Doc offshore oil platform on May 21, causing the death of one worker and injuring seven others. The incident occurred during decommissioning work on Vietnam’s first offshore oil platform removal project.

Officials confirmed that the fire was brought under control within 30 minutes and there was no pollution or damage to other nearby oil and gas operations.

The fire occurred while a subcontractor was cleaning and dismantling the Song Doc platform, operated by Petrovietnam Exploration Production Corporation (PVEP) through its subsidiary PVEP POC.

The exact number of workers present on the platform during the fire is unknown. Videos from the scene showed a fireboat actively working to control the flames.

Local reports, including from Viet Nam News, mentioned one death and seven injuries, though official statements have not yet confirmed these figures. Authorities stated that the fire did not impact the surrounding environment or disrupt production activities at other nearby oil and gas sites.

The Song Doc field is located about 125 miles (approximately 205 kilometres) south of Ca Mau Cape, at the southernmost tip of Vietnam, in the Gulf of Thailand. This offshore site was discovered in 2006 and started producing oil in 2008.

Initially, the project was managed by the Truong Son Joint Operating Company, a partnership between Talisman, Petronas Carigali, and PetroVietnam. The platform reached a peak production of around 28,000 barrels per day.

In 2013, the two foreign partners left the project due to high operating costs, which they said made the well uneconomical. Since then, PVEP POC became the sole owner and operator.

The company was assigned to continue production and gradually deplete the well, which it reported was completed in 2023. Production officially stopped in February 2024, with the well capped and the platform slated for removal.

PVEP POC submitted a detailed plan for decommissioning and removal of the Song Doc platform, which regulators approved. The contract for well plugging, abandonment, and platform removal was awarded to Petrovietnam Technical Services Corporation and Petrovietnam Drilling.

The fire occurred while the decommissioning work was underway. The company confirmed there was no pollution and that operations at other oil and gas projects in the area continued normally.

An official investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the fire.

Reference: isssource

Source: Maritime Shipping News