Oil major Shell operates a fleet of giant ships permanently moored over oilfields around the world. The ships receive oil pumped from wells beneath the seabed and transfer it to tankers. Reporting by The Associated Press, based on internal documents, raises questions about the safety of these ships.
Here's what to know:
The Bonga oil spill
What can go wrong was illustrated off Nigeria in 2011, when a pipe connecting Shell's production ship Bonga to a tanker sprang a leak. The spill wasn't noticed for more than four hours, and 40,000 barrels of oil spilled into the Atlantic. An oil slick spread over 685 square miles (1,776 square kilometers) of water, an area twice the size of New York City. A $3.6 billion fine was the result, though it's still being appealed today.
Restricted files
An internal review of Shell's oil production ship fleet in 2022 shows that, 11 years after the Bonga spill, problems remained. The vessel had “continuously deficient” firefighting, lifesaving and oil transfer systems. Oil transfer systems were what failed in the 2011 spill.
Tony Cox, an offshore oil accident investigator, said this was concerning given transfers are a “recognized hazard” and a “well known" potential spillage point.
The report described “recurring incidents” on other ships, noting “severe corrosion” in a vessel off Brazil. Two workers were left “with moderate to severe burns” after an accident in U.S. waters. There were “degraded facilities” on the gas-producing ship Prelude, anchored off Australia, where fire broke out in 2021.
Overall, it blamed a “lack of clear and established standards and processes.”
Worker concerns
Surveys of Shell workers beginning in 2012 also raised concerns. The surveys, obtained by AP, measured employees’ perception of performance in 10 areas, including maintenance and safety awareness. Between 2012 and 2021, employees’ views of company performance dropped in nine categories. In 2021, some 59% of workers on Bonga thought maintenance needed improvement. More than half worried about the resources and expertise onboard.
Shell's response
The company said accidents aboard the Bonga fell from an average of one per year to zero after 2018, and spills by 90% since 2020. Safety experts look after Prelude, Shell said, while the Brazilian ship was decommissioned. The U.S. accident isn’t reflective of the company’s culture, the company said. The company also noted more than 90% of those surveyed in 2021 felt positive about another category measured, the Bonga’s safety processes.
Rich Howe, Shell’s vice president for deep water operations, said a “relentless focus on safety” was “deeply ingrained in the Shell culture” and was “widely recognized.”
“These documents are evidence of that culture,” he said, speaking about the internal report and surveys.
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Ed Davey, The Associated Press
