The conclusion of the investigation is that Swedish jurisdiction does not apply and that the investigation therefore should be closed,” the Swedish Prosecution Authority said in a statement.
Reuters
Weak, very weak. Instant Not My Job Award classic.
Archive for the ‘pipelines’ Category
Nord Stream: After 16 months of investigation, Sweden bows out
Posted in accidents, pipelines, tagged investigation, no jurisdiction, Nord Stream, Sweden on February 7, 2024| Leave a Comment »
Nord Stream: What will the Swedish prosecutor have to say?
Posted in accidents, pipelines, tagged Nord Stream, pending announcement, Swedish prosecutor on February 6, 2024| Leave a Comment »
Little has changed since our last update. Will we finally get a substantive update from an official investigator?
STOCKHOLM, Feb 5 (Reuters) – The prosecutor leading Sweden’s probe into the Nord Stream gas pipeline blasts in the Baltic Sea in 2022 plans to announce a decision this week on whether to drop the case, press charges or request that someone is detained, his office said on Monday.
The statement confirmed an earlier report by Swedish daily Expressen. It was not immediately clear which day an announcement would be made, a spokesperson for the prosecutor’s office said.
Reuters
Update per Disclose TV and others: “The Swedish public prosecutor’s office was apparently unable to identify any specific suspects.”
Will the Main Pass Oil Gathering (MPOG) system be vindicated?
Posted in accidents, Gulf of Mexico, pipelines, tagged Coast Guard, Main Pass Oil Gathering, MPOG, pipeline, spill on December 7, 2023| Leave a Comment »
On Nov. 17, the Coast Guard reported a “crude oil release” in the Gulf of Mexico near the Main Pass Oil Gathering (MPOG) company’s pipeline system southeast of New Orleans. After 3 weeks of investigation, no pipeline leak has been identified.
The cause and source of the incident remain under investigation. The entire length of the main pipeline has been assessed to date, along with 22.16 miles of surrounding pipelines with no damage or indications of a leak identified. Remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) and divers continue to reassess the main pipeline and surrounding pipelines as a sustained effort to locate the source of the suspected release.
US Coast Guard
So what was the source of the spill? Another pipeline? Vessel?
Report on the 10/1/2021 Huntington Beach pipeline spill is finally issued
Posted in accidents, California, Offshore Energy - General, pipelines, tagged Beta Unit pipeline, Coast Guard, Huntington Beach pipeline spill, NTSB on December 6, 2023| Leave a Comment »
Postaccident investigation determined that the containerships MSC Danit and Beijing had dragged anchor near the pipeline months before the oil release, on January 25, 2021.
previous posts on this incident
Pipeline spill in Main Pass area of Gulf of Mexico
Posted in accidents, Gulf of Mexico, pipelines, tagged Gulf of Mexico, Main Pass, Main Pass Oil Gathering, pipeline spill on November 18, 2023| Leave a Comment »
- Location: Spotted Thursday morning 19 miles east of the mouth of Main Pass; slick moved southwest on Friday, toward the mouth of South Pass
- Operator: Main Pass Oil Gathering, a subsidiary of the Houston oil company Third Coast.
- Volume transported: 80,000 bopd
- Age: Pipeline was completed in Aug. 2022
- Spill size based on slick estimate: 291 bbls
The cause of the spill is unknown at this time. External damage (perhaps anchor dragging or vessel contact with exposed section) is a good bet.
Does the latest Washington Post/Der Spiegel report help us better understand the Nord Stream sabotage operation?
Posted in accidents, pipelines, tagged investigations, Nord Stream, pipelines, sabotage, Seymour Hersh, Ukraine on November 14, 2023| Leave a Comment »
No, because it provides no evidence in support of either of the two prominent Nord Stream sabotage theories: (1) the Seymour Hersh account and (2) the rental yacht narrative.
When the findings from important investigations are delayed, information leaks serve to control the narrative and satisfy political or economic objectives. Why are these intelligence organizations so eager to assign blame within the Ukrainian government? Why are the actual findings of the investigations not being released? Perhaps the WP and Spiegel reporters can answer those questions.
According to the joint research by DER SPIEGEL and The Washington Post, Chervinskyi’s name is circulating both in Ukrainian and international security circles in connection with the attack on the Nord Stream pipelines. The former agent allegedly coordinated the attack and also provided support for the specialist unit behind the sabotage operation.
Cautionary note:
People in Western security circles say that the Ukrainian security apparatus is plagued with rivalries and infighting, and that information obtained from sources there must be handled with caution.
both quotes from Der Spiegel
One year ago tomorrow the Nord Stream pipelines were sabotaged
Posted in climate, energy policy, Offshore Energy - General, pipelines, Uncategorized, tagged Denmark, germany, Nord Stream, pipelines, sabotage, Sweden on September 25, 2023| Leave a Comment »
Not only have no official findings been released, but there has been little new speculation since our June 2023 update. Given the political stakes, it is increasingly unlikely that the responsible parties will be identified.
Still waiting for:
Posted in accidents, decommissioning, IRF, Offshore Energy - General, pipelines, tagged aban pearl, helicopter crash, Hogan and Houchin, Huntington Beach pipeline spill, IRF, Nord Stream, NTSB, offshore accidents, pipeline regulation, regulatory fragmentation, Russell Peterson on July 27, 2023| Leave a Comment »
- The final NTSB report on the 12/29/2022 GoM helicopter crash that killed 4.To the NTSB’s credit, their preliminary report was timely. Hopefully, the NTSB is considering the muddled regulatory regime for helidecks (regulatory fragmentation).
- The report on the 10/1/2021 Huntington Beach pipeline spill. Regulatory fragmentation is also an issue with this incident and with offshore pipeline regulation in general.
- Updated IRF performance data: The last data posted are for 2020. The IRF has neglected its most important work stream. Related recommendations.
- Hogan and Houchin decommissioning update: most notably the financial responsibility aspects
- Updated DOI-DOT offshore pipeline regulations
- Coast Guard report on the May 2008 Russell Peterson liftboat tragedy Some of us haven’t forgotten.
- Information on the mysterious sinking of the Aban Pearl semi-submersible in May 2010. An investigation was conducted, but the report was never shared.
- Report on the Nord Stream sabotage: As the anniversary nears, the prospects for an official report are fading.The absence of a report from Sweden, Denmark, or Germany speaks volumes.
Nord Stream “whodunit” summary; will we ever get a definitive answer?
Posted in accidents, climate, Offshore Energy - General, pipelines, tagged Nord Stream, play by play, Russia, Seymour Hersh, Ukraine, US, whodunnit? on June 21, 2023| Leave a Comment »
Trying to keep track:
- Massive methane leaks from Nord Stream PLs on 9/26/2022. Both Nord Stream 1 PLs and one Nord Stream 2 line badly damaged.
- Swedish officials confirm that the PLs were sabotaged.
- Talking heads in US and Europe blame Russia. Russia blames UK.
- Buzz about “dark ships”
- Nord Stream methane release vs. natural seepage
- WP: No conclusive evidence that Russia is behind the attack
- First ever offshore PL sabotage?
- Seymour Hersh: “How America took out the Nord Stream Pipeline”
- Methane emissions: Nord Stream vs. offshore leasing
- NYT and Der Spiegel intelligence: Ukrainian group in a rented yacht sabotaged the PLs
- Seymour Hersh responds to the NYT/Der Spiegel “cover-up”
- Russian Naval ships spotted near the PL incident site
- Germany investigating leads that point to Ukrainian govt
- Netherlands intelligence warned CIA about Ukrainian plan to blow up PLs
So at this time, some theories on the culprits appear to have dropped out. Those that are still in play include various versions of the Ukrainian rental yacht narrative and the Hersh account. Hopefully, the responsible parties will be identified, but given the political stakes, this is becoming increasingly unlikely.
More on OCS medical issues and evacuations
Posted in Gulf of Mexico, Health, Offshore Energy - General, pipelines, tagged BSEE, illnesses, Medical Evacuation, US Coast Guard on May 23, 2023| 1 Comment »
Kudos to offshore-energy.biz for drawing attention to the recent Coast Guard medevacs from the pipelay vessel Solitaire. Three health-related medevacs from the same facility in <2 months would seem to warrant further scrutiny. Will the Coast Guard investigate?
The only timely information on medevacs is from Coast Guard news releases. Information on private medevacs is seldom provided, except as included in the BSEE incident tables, which are typically more than 1 year behind, and update presentations by BSEE’s Gulf of Mexico region.
Below is information on 2023 YTD Coast Guard medevacs associated with Gulf of Mexico oil and gas activities. As previously posted, at least 12 workers died at OCS facilities in 2021-22 of natural causes. Unfortunately, “natural cause” fatalities and illnesses receive little industry or regulator attention.
| date | vessel or platform | description | condition report |
| 5/18 | OSV Brandon Bordelon | 50-year-old male crewmember with an injury to his leg | stable |
| 5/17 | Allseas’ pipelay vessel Solitaire | 65-year-old male crewmember was experiencing heart attack-like symptoms | stable |
| 4/26 | crew boat Mr. Fred | halted search for missing crewmember | presumed dead |
| 4/23 | Allseas’ pipelay vessel Solitaire | 32-year-old male crewmember experiencing severe abdominal pain. | stable |
| 3/22 | Allseas’ pipelay vessel Solitaire | crewmember was experiencing seizure-like symptoms | stable |
| 3/18 | BP’s Atlantis platform | 28 year old male, eye injury | stable |
| 3/13 | unidentified platform 40 miles south of Port Fourchon | 37-year-old man having difficulty breathing | stable |
Bud's Offshore Energy (BOE) 