92 oil workers evacuated from Cormorant Alpha following leak

By FRANK URQUHART
Published on 16/01/2013 11:25

NEARLY 100 oil workers were flown to safety from an ageing North Sea platform yesterday, after an oil leak was found in one of its giant legs.

The 92 workers on Taqa

Bratani’s Cormorant Alpha platform, 94 miles east of Shetland, were taken off on a series of scheduled helicopter flights following the discovery of the leak on Monday afternoon, leaving 67 personnel still on board.

Production on the platform has also been shut down as a precaution.

The company said the leak had been contained and was under control. It began transferring non-essential personnel to neighbouring rigs and the mainland at 1:30pm yesterday and had completed the transfer by early evening.

A spokeswoman for Taqa Bratani, part of the Abu Dhabi National Energy Company, said: “Taqa can confirm that an

indication of hydrocarbons was detected in one of the legs of the Cormorant Alpha platform in the northern UK North Sea at 4:15 pm on 14 January.

“The platform and all pipeline infrastructure have been shut down as a precaution.”

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