Mine under North Sea pipeline to be removed

OIL giant Shell has announced plans to remove an unexploded Second World War mine that has been lying directly beneath one of the North Sea’s major gas pipelines for almost 20 years.

The unexploded piece of British wartime ordnance was first discovered lying underneath the FLAGS (Far North Liquids and Associated Gas System) pipeline 62 miles off the Aberdeen coast in 1993.

Until now, the oil company has ruled out any plans to try to remove the mine before it can be safely detonated.

But Shell announced yesterday that proposals to remove the mine were now being actively considered.

A spokeswoman for the oil giant said: “Shell became aware of this unexploded ordnance in 1993. It is lodged underneath the pipeline. Since that time the company has regularly inspected the site and sought professional advice on how best to proceed.

“The consistent advice the company received was to leave the mine in position and continue to monitor it periodically.

“It was considered to be stable, and with the technology that we had available to us at that date it was thought that the risk of trying to remove it was greater than the risk of leaving it. The chances of it exploding were extremely remote.”

The spokeswoman said the site had been regularly monitored by both the Royal Navy and a specialist company and that remotely-operated vehicle technology had now been developed which could make it possible for the mine to be removed without detonating it. She added: “Shell is considering technical options for the safe removal and disposal of the unexploded ordnance. A decision on how best to proceed is expected before the end of the year.”

In the meantime, Shell has deployed a guard vessel to keep a continuous watch on the site.