Rival’s leaked memo sparks gearbox fears
Fears that a faulty gearbox was to blame for a helicopter malfunctioning over the North Sea this week were inadvertently sparked yesterday following claims in a leaked memo by a rival company.
Fears that a faulty gearbox was to blame for a helicopter malfunctioning over the North Sea this week were inadvertently sparked yesterday following claims in a leaked memo by a rival company.
The investigation into the ditching of a Bond helicopter in the North Sea will start in earnest today.
Oil and gas drilling firms have enjoyed one of the safest years on record, representatives of the sector heard last night.
Offshore helicopter operator Bond grounded all flights last night after one of its aircraft ditched in the North Sea.
A textbook ditching was followed by a textbook rescue as emergency helicopters and an RNLI lifeboat plucked the Bond pilots and their passengers to safety.
One man remained in hospital last night after the helicopter - with 12 passengers and two pilots on board - ditched into the North Sea.
A Bond director last night moved to reassure offshore workers and North Sea oil and gas firms that safety was the operator's "primary and first priority".
Bond Offshore Helicopters is already facing a police investigation following a fatal accident three years ago.
Offshore union officials expressed "grave concern" yesterday over the safety of workers being transported to oil and gas platforms by Bond helicopters.
The EU was warned last night not to try to use the helicopter crash in the North Sea to justify its controversial bid to seize control of the offshore safety regime.
A helicopter understood to be carrying 14 people has ditched in the North Sea about 25 miles off Aberdeen.
The trial over who was to blame for the Deepwater Horizon explosion and oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has been delayed until next year.
The boss of French energy giant Total said yesterday the company had to strengthen its commitment to safety in the wake of the gas leak on its Elgin platform.
Total said yesterday it planned to step up the operation to "kill" the leaking Elgin well next week.
North east firm Survival Craft Inspectorate is to create more than 20 jobs and expand its production facility after a 25% rise in demand, the firm said yesterday.
Trade unions for offshore workers joined forces today with industry body Oil and Gas UK (OGUK) to decry proposed EU safety regulation, saying it could set the industry back years.
Production at the UK's largest oil field has been halted after smoke was seen on an installation at the weekend.
Oil and gas workers were celebrating yesterday at a ceremony in Aberdeen recognising leaders in health-and-safety practice.
The chief executive of environmental group Friends of the Earth Scotland has claimed it is "completely premature" to begin assessing the damage caused by gas leaking from the Elgin platform.
The first in a series of Government tests has found that the highly explosive gas escaping from Total's stricken Elgin platform has not affected the marine life in the area.
European Union plans to take regulatory control of the North Sea industry would be more damaging to oil and gas operators than a spill, according to analysts.
Sodexo said yesterday it had received its 13th consecutive British Safety Council (BSC) International Award.
The Super Puma helicopter has experienced a troubled recent history.
FRESH safety fears have been raised over the helicopters used to fly hundreds of oil and gas workers offshore every day.
Greenpeace has sent a ship to the Elgin platform to take samples of the air and water.