As part of an ongoing series of Lesson Learned bulletins, the JNRC Survey and Engineering Sub-Committee is pleased to release LON 010, which considers the Elgin Well loss of control event which occurred in the UK Sector of the North Sea on 25 March 2012.

This well control event involved a temporarily plugged high pressure high temperature well that was being subject to well intervention at the time of the loss.  The incident, which had significant financial consequences in regard to well control cost and loss of production, had potential to be a catastrophic event in view of the uncontrolled release of hydrocarbon in the presence of some 238 persons offshore on the production platform and attending jack-up drilling rig.

This notification aims to raise awareness of this loss, and of the often fragile circumstances that stand between a significant financial loss or well control claim and the possible major loss of human life and property. The loss is also poignant in the current environment, where the market is increasingly aware of aging well stock and variation in the quality of operational well integrity management systems.

This LON is available below and is for use by Energy practitioners.

JNRC – Learning Opportunity Notification (LON) – 010

Katie Clark
Executive, Technical Underwriting
katie.clark@lmalloyds.com

Dele Fajimolu
Senior Executive, Technical Underwriting
dele.fajimolu@lmalloyds.com