September 2011, Vol. 238 No. 9

Projects

World War II Mine Lying Next To North Sea Pipeline Removed

An unexploded World War II mine, which had been lying next to the key Forties crude oil pipeline operated by BP PLC in the North Sea, was removed and towed to a safe area for disposal.

The pipeline carries Forties blend oil – the largest component of benchmark Brent crude, the marker for more than half the world’s crude. Several cargos of Forties crude have been delayed or canceled in
recent months due to ongoing maintenance at the nearby Nexen Inc.-operated Buzzard oil field,
supporting Brent prices.

Dow Jones reported that BP’s planned maintenance work on the Forties pipeline system was proceeding to plan. The mine was found in March lying adjacent to the pipeline 40 km off the coast of Peterhead in Scotland.
Nexen is conducting maintenance on the largest of the 50 fields that make up the Forties crude grade.