Total Shuts In UK Elgin Gas Field Following Leak

French major Total was forced to evacuate its staff at the Elgin gas field in the UK yesterday and today following a "well control problem" which was rumoured to have caused a gas explosion.

Operator Total E&P UK, which has a 46.173 per cent share in the field through a 77.5 per cent share in subsidiary E.F. Oil and Gas Limited, has confirmed that 238 personnel have been safely evacuated from the field with no injuries reported. 

150 of those workers were flown back to Aberdeen in Scotland while another 69 were taken to nearby installations. A final 19 workers remained on the platform until the early hours of this morning when they too were flown to Aberdeen. The platform has now been powered down.

"As a precautionary measure, due to the ongoing nature of the situation offshore, the 19 core crew who had initially remained on board the Elgin Processing, Utilities & Quarters platform have been flown back to Aberdeen, leaving the platform unmanned and powered down," the company said in a statement today.

The company said on Sunday that the issue was a result of a "well control problem" and an emergency response had been initiated.

"A well control problem occurred on the wellhead platform on the Elgin PUQ resulting in a gas release," it said. "Work is ongoing to control the release. Emergency procedures have been activated and the coastguard and Grampian Police and have been informed."

Total is one of seven companies with an interest in the Elgin field which is located in the UK North Sea, approximately 240 kilometres from the coast of Aberdeen. The other shareholders are Eni (21.867 per cent), BG International (14.11 per cent), Ruhrgas (5.2 per cent), ExxonMobil (4.375 per cent), Texaco (3.9 per cent), Dyas (2.1875 per cent) and Orange-Nassau (2.1875 per cent).

GDF is the other shareholder in operating subsidiary E.F. Oil and Gas Limited with a 22.5 per cent stake.