‘Near miss’ reported on ExxonMobil’s Hebron platform off N.L.

Canada’s offshore oil and gas regulator says there was a “near miss” on ExxonMobil’s Hebron platform in late May.

The Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board says the May 28 incident involved a tool failure that sent a 6.8 kilogram rod flying 19 metres across a deck before dropping 21 metres to the deck below.

The board says in a release that while the incident had the potential for fatalities, ExxonMobil reported no injuries.

The regulator says the company immediately stopped work and initiated an investigation into the cause of the incident, and that it will monitor ExxonMobil’s efforts.

The near miss happened as the company was completing maintenance on the knuckle boom crane of the platform using a hydraulic pin puller, which failed, sending the puller rod across the deck.

There were four reported near miss incidents last year on the Hibernia offshore platform that ExxonMobil co-owns with several other producers, while in 2021 both the Hibernia and Hebron platforms each saw one near miss and one injured worker report.