Storm threat: at Ekofisk
Ekofisk shut ins planned as storm looms
US supermajor ConocoPhilips may be forced to shut in five of its 16 production platforms at the Ekofisk field in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea following forecasts for a major storm in the area.
"We have started a plan to shut down (a maximum of) five of 16 platforms," spokesman Kurt Mikkelsen told Reuters.
"We will return to normal operations if the weather forecasts change."
Mikkelsen declined to comment on implications for production from Ekofisk.
He said ConocoPhillips was planning to send 600 of its 1400 offshore employees back to land over the next few days, before the storm hits with full force, probably on Thursday night.
The rest of the personnel will be relocated to other platforms which were built to withstand harsher weather.
Local media reports say that the storm - called Andrea - could whip up 11-metre waves in the North Sea.
ConocoPhillips is the operator and holds 35.11% of the Ekofisk licence. The field's other partners are France's Total with 39.9%, Italy's Eni 12.39%, Norway's StatoilHydro 7.6% and Norwegian state-owned Petoro at 5%.
Non-essential personnel are also being evacuated from Valhall, according to reports. Valhall operator BP was not immediately available to confirm the evacuations.