May 16, 2023
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A vessel collided with an offshore platform close to the coast of East Yorkshire over the weekend.
The incident, which took place at noon on April 22, involved a vessel running into a collision with Rough 47-3 Bravo, Centrica Storage offshore gas facility, which is about 18 miles off the Easington Coast. The collision resulted in no injuries.
Following the incident, non-essential platform operatives were sent home as a safety precaution. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency conducted a post-collision examination of the ship involved on Sunday in Great Yarmouth.
Coastguard teams were not needed, and there weren’t reports of pollution, casualties, or structural impairment to the platform either. The vessel suffered damages above the waterline but could make its way to Great Yarmouth for essential repairs.
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency also carried out a thorough post-collision examination of the vessel on Sunday in Great Yarmouth.
The installation of Rough 47/3B is the cornerstone of the namesake field, which was reportedly converted into a gas storage hub back in 1985.
Centrica discussed its plans in 2017 to close down the facility, approximately 17 miles away from Yorkshire, following the withdrawal of government support that made it extremely uneconomical.
Russia’s war in Ukraine helped put energy security in the spotlight once again. In 2022, the British Gas owner got a go-ahead to once again open up Rough that feeds into the Easington terminal.
The Easington Gas Terminal happens to be one of three primary gas terminals in the UK, besides Bacton, Norfolk, and St Fergus, Aberdeenshire. The site comprises three plants. Of these, one is by Centrica, and two are operated by BP.
The Easington Gas Terminal that overlooks the North Sea is where about 20% of Britain’s gas imported from Norway has carried ashore via the 1,200km-long Langeled pipeline. Once captured at Easington, the gas is transferred into the UK’s national supply channel.
A Centrica spokesperson mentioned that Centrica Storage could confirm if a vessel came into contact with the offshore platform, located 29 km off the coast of East Yorkshire, at about 12 pm on 22 April. No injuries were reported, and the personnel were safe.
Reference: Energy Voice, Hull Live
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