The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Sea cordon as bomb found near platform
Exclusion zone set up around ‘no risk’ depth charge
An exclusion zone has been set up around a suspected unexploded depth charge found on the seabed near a North Sea oil installation.
The device was discovered around 100 metres away from CNR International’s Ninian Central platform.
It was found during a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) survey of the Strathspey pipelines.
It is said to be “consistent” with a depth charge with a potential explosive load of 130-150kg of TNT and is adjacent to the utilities and methanol pipeline, 130 metres from the platform.
A leaked risk assessment says that specialists have recommended disposal of the item at the “earliest opportunity” but assessed that it does not pose a hazard unless impacted.
Although self-detonation is described as “remote”, if it did go off there would be potential for “significant” ground shockwaves that could cause damage to rigid subsea structures.
Diving in the area has been prohibited without further risk assessment and a vessel exclusion zone set up around the device.
The blast radius is not thought to be in danger of damaging the platform but it is located near some subsea infrastructure.
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency and the Health and Safety Execu- tive (HSE) have been made aware of the situation.
However, any action to mitigate the risk is the responsibility of CNR.
A company spokesman said it had “informed all relevant authorities and is in discussion with a specialist company, who have classed the device as safe, and are working to formulate a forward plan”.
He said it posed “no risk to personnel or the environment”.
The platform presently has 196 personnel on board.
A spokesman for the HSE said: “HSE has been made aware and are working with and monitoring the duty holder’s response.”
The Ninian, Lyell and Columba fields are located in the Northern North Sea, around 386km north-north-east of Aberdeen.
Oil from all these fields is processed onboard the two platforms and exported to the Sullom Voe Terminal on the Shetland Islands via the Ninian Pipeline System.
A spokeswoman for Police Scotland said they have no involvement in the incident.
“Diving in the area has been prohibited without further risk assessment”