East Puffin Pty Ltd, the titleholder of the Puffin field, notified the Designated Authority, the Northern Territory Department of Regional Development, Primary Industry, Fisheries and Resources, and the National Offshore Petroleum Safety Authority, on 10 September of a slight gas leak following a subsea survey of the field. This is the usual reporting procedure for a minor leak not posing a hazard to people, the environment or property.
The Puffin field is not currently producing hydrocarbons as the Front Puffin Floating Production Storage and Offtake Vessel departed the field on 14 July.The wells have been shut-in and the flowlines flushed.This is best oilfield practice to leave the field in a safe condition that prevents the escape of oil to the environment.
The titleholder was conducting a routine inspection of subsea equipment when it identified the leak.The gas leak was identified by a small number of bubbles emanating from the vicinity of subsea equipment. The gas leak is not a well leak and no oil is, or can, leak.
The gas leak is of a minor nature and poses no threat to the safety of people or the environment, or the integrity of the facilities, vessels or aircraft.
EPPL is preparing monitoring and management plans and has undertaken to repair the equipment as soon as practical.
Update on Montara
With respect to the very different situation at the Montara field, work is continuing to stop the flow of oil and gas safely and as soon as possible.
Oil recovery operations continue to be very successful in minimising the amount of oil leaving the immediate vicinity of the Montara platform. For example, on Wednesday this week, about 370 barrels of oil/water product were recovered for the day. Between 300 and 400 barrels a day are estimated to be leaking, so oil recovery operations on site are significantly reducing the amount of oil escaping to the broader environment.
The next intercept attempt will be made within the next few days. Each attempt yields more information and narrows the field of uncertainty, increasing the chance of success. It is usual for multiple attempts to be made before a successful intercept. Alert Well Control, an expert in this field, has advised that the technical approach being taken (ie drilling a relief well to intercept the leaking well) has been used successfully many times.
Some of the world's leading companies in complex drilling operations, including Alert Well Control, Halliburton, Schlumberger, Seadrill, BHI, Vector Magnetics and Smith Tool Services are working to stop this leak safely and as soon as possible.
PTTEP conducted a peer review of next steps in drilling the relief well on Monday this week, involving Woodside, Inpex, Apache, Vermillion and AGR Petroleum Services.
The Government is pleased PTTEP has sought this additional expertise from its industry colleagues - it is a further recognition of the complexity of the problem the company faces in fixing the leak. PTTEP are using experts to ensure implementation in accordance with best international practice.
The collective view of Geoscience Australia and some of the industry's best minds and most experienced hands is that the current plan is the safest and best available at this stage.