UK North Sea oil production to be maintained as industry moves to 'minimal manning' offshore: OGUK

UK North Sea oil and gas production is set to be maintained at normal levels despite the industry moving to "minimal manning" of offshore facilities in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, trade body Oil & Gas UK's health and safety director, Trevor Stapleton, said Thursday.

In a phone briefing with journalists, Stapleton said the industry was rapidly developing procedures to deal with COVID-19, which was thought to have infected a number of offshore workers in what is Europe's key oil and gas basin. UK oil production amounted to 1.1 million b/d last year.

Total North Sea output amounts to 3%-4% of global oil supply, with Norway producing some 2 million b/d, while the basin also meets a sizeable portion of Europe's gas demand.

The Dated Brent benchmark, based on North Sea flows, is used to price oil around the world.

Minimizing the number of workers posted offshore meant "production would be able to continue at normal rates and you would be doing safety-critical maintenance and some regular maintenance," Stapleton said, adding, however, hold-ups could be expected in certain instances, for example a piece of equipment failing.

"Minimal manning means we are not doing any invasive work: we're not doing any heavy lifts – things like that – drilling operations will largely stop. Anything that might have been a higher risk, all that work will have been stopped, and we are just running the plant as smoothly as possible."

Stapleton said the industry had developed procedures for helicopter transportation of workers with COVID-19 or those suspected to have the virus, and strict screening was taking place of anyone traveling offshore.

In addition, so-called 'walk to work' marine vessels were able to transport workers around the North Sea.

Stapleton said he did not have an estimate of the number of COVID-19 cases among the North Sea workforce.

OGUK is seeking the government's approval for priority testing of certain critical members of the workforce, he said.