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 , 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 鈥渃ontinuously deficient鈥� 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 鈥渞ecognized hazard鈥� and a 鈥渨ell known" potential spillage point.
The report described 鈥渞ecurring incidents鈥� on other ships, noting 鈥渟evere corrosion鈥� in a vessel off Brazil. Two workers were left 鈥渨ith moderate to severe burns鈥� after an accident in U.S. waters. There were 鈥渄egraded facilities鈥� on the gas-producing ship Prelude, anchored off Australia, where fire broke out in 2021.
Overall, it blamed a 鈥渓ack of clear and established standards and processes.鈥�
Worker concerns
Surveys of Shell workers beginning in 2012 also raised concerns. The surveys, obtained by AP, measured employees鈥� perception of performance in 10 areas, including maintenance and safety awareness. Between 2012 and 2021, employees鈥� 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鈥檛 reflective of the company鈥檚 culture, the company said. The company also noted more than 90% of those surveyed in 2021 felt positive about another category measured, the Bonga鈥檚 safety processes.
Rich Howe, Shell鈥檚 vice president for deep water operations, said a 鈥渞elentless focus on safety鈥� was 鈥渄eeply ingrained in the Shell culture鈥� and was 鈥渨idely recognized.鈥�
鈥淭hese documents are evidence of that culture,鈥� he said, speaking about the internal report and surveys.
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Ed Davey, The Associated Press
