Maersk rig worker tests positive for Covid-19 after leaving Inpex Australia project
Contractor tests positive for deadly virus after returning home from stint on semi-submersible of Australia
Japanese giant Inpex has confirmed a person who recently worked on a contractor’s drilling rig off the coast of Western Australia has returned a positive test for the Covid-19 coronavirus.
The worker had been onboard the semi-submersible Maersk Deliverer which is operating at Inpex’s Ichthys field under a US$300 million, three-year deal.
Inpex Australia deputy vice president corporate communication, Bill Townsend, told Upstream that the person became ill after returning to his home country on 19 March.
“We are implementing a detailed response plan in line with health agency and regulatory protocols and in close collaboration with Maersk Drilling as the facility operator,” he said.
“At this point, no persons on board Maersk Deliverer have shown symptoms of Covid-19. As a precautionary measure, all non-essential personnel on the drilling rig are being transferred onshore to commence self-isolation.”
Townsend added that the location the employees will be required to self-isolate is currently being finalised, however the company’s preference is for them to do so “at their home location”.
He also confirmed that output at the company’s Ichthys liquefied natural gas facilities remain uninterrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic, with production continuing as planned.
It is not the first Covid-19 scare for the company, with workers at the onshore Ichthys LNG facilities near Darwin isolated earlier this month as a precaution after a contractor was suspected to have contracted the virus, however tests came back negative.
Inpex Australia has implemented a number of measures in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, including establishing a specialised crisis management team to direct and support an organisation-wide response to the deadly virus.
It is also monitoring government guidance and travel advisories and immediately implementing those recommendations, while it also requires all personnel to complete a self-assessment questionnaire before accessing any Inpex Australia locations.
Offshore workers are also temperature tested before being mobilised to the company’s offshore facilities and the company has also implemented a range of social distancing practices including working from home, using teleconferencing facilities instead of face-to-face meetings and avoiding large gatherings.
The Covid-19 pandemic has been escalating in Australia, with the country now having over 1800 confirmed cases of the virus, with eight deaths.
The country has closed its borders to international travellers and this week a number of states and territories are closing their borders, requiring any new arrivals to self-isolate for 14 days.
Western Australia, the major hub for the nation’s LNG industry, will close its borders on Tuesday, however resource workers will be exempt from the self-isolation orders as they are deemed essential to keep the projects which drive the state’s economy running.
There have been more than 378,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus globally and more than 16,000 deaths, with the virus spreading to at least 195 countries and territories since the outbreak began in China late last year.
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