Investigation into Santos’ swinging platform still running one year later
Peter de Kruijff
By Peter de Kruijff
July 8, 2022 — 9.27am
An investigation by the resources industry regulator into a dangerous incident where an oil platform swung uncontrollably from a crane near the heads of two workers off the West Australian coast last is still going one year on with little indication of when it will be finalised.
Two workers were left scrambling for their lives during the removal of the Sinbad platform, owned by Santos, when it separated from the structure supporting it.
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Several workers experienced a near-miss on an oil rig at the Santos platform near Varanus Island in Western Australia.
The Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety has been looking into the July 5 incident that happened near Varanus Island in the Pilbara for a year.
The watchdog issued a prohibition notice on Santos preventing it from undertaking any similar cutting and lifting operations until an investigation was completed.
The department’s deputy director general Ian Munns said it was keen to finalise its investigation in a timely manner and it did not want to compromise the quality of its inquiries.
“The department is aware workers at the site were exposed to significant risks, and is completing a comprehensive examination of the attempted lift to determine the causes of the incident.”
The International Marine Contractors Association published a so-called safety flash for its members in October about the incident that “had a high potential for multiple fatalities.”
Numerous companies were involved in the incident. Santos, which owned the disused oil field, contracted Dutch company Fugro to remove the Sinbad platform and the similar nearby Campbell platform.
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Fugro obtained a construction vessel from Allseas and rope access technicians from AusGroup subsidiary MAS.
The two technicians were on the side of the large steel post, or monopod, that had been cut to allow the platform to be lifted up by a crane on a nearby vessel when the platform moved unexpectedly and began swinging wildly.
The Sinbad and Campbell platforms were installed in 1993 and have been inactive for 15 years since production ceased in 2006.
Santos was contacted for comment.