A gas leak recorded this Wednesday morning (18) caused the total shutdown of the P-40 platform, located in the Marlim Sul field, in the Campos Basin, on the coast of Rio de Janeiro. There is no record of victims.
The incident was initially reported by the North Fluminense Oil Workers Union (Sindipetro-NF), which is monitoring the case and demanding clarification from Petrobras.
The P-40 came into operation in 2001 and acts as a floating production, storage and transfer platform, being strategic for national oil production.
According to Sindipetro-NF, the platform is currently operated by a Petrobras contingency team, replacing regular workers who are on strike.
“It is further proof of Petrobras’ irresponsibility, in touching the platforms with contingency teams without knowing if it has the technical capacity to do so. The company itself violates safety standards”, said the coordinator of the Sindipetro-NF Health Department, Alexandre Vieira.
In a statement, Petrobras said that “the incident is not related to the strike movement of Petrobras workers” and that “production from other platforms in the Campos Basin continues normally”.
The state-owned company confirmed the interruption of production, saying that the platform’s protection system detected the gas leak and that it acted immediately within safety standards. As a preventive measure, all lines were depressurized and production at the unit was temporarily stopped.
The company also stated that production from other platforms in the Campos Basin continues normally, that it is notifying the competent regulatory bodies and that a special commission will be set up to investigate the causes of the leak.
