Coronavirus spreads to Brazil’s oilfields

RIODEJANEIRO:NORWAY’S Equinor and Anglo-french firm Perenco are among at least five major oil producers that have registered coronavirus cases among their employees or contractors at facilities that are off the coast of Brazil, according to industry sources.

Royal Dutch Shell and Brazil’s Enauta Participacoes have registered one case each, and hundreds of cases have been recorded at oilfields operated by state-run Petrobras.

The infections illustrate the threat the virus poses to workers toiling in cramped quarters offshore and have raised questions about the effectiveness of extensive testing efforts to contain the pandemic’s spread on platforms.

Oil production has come under intense scrutiny during the pandemic as employees are forced to work, sleep and eat in confined areas.