Fire on fast rescue craft onboard the M/V Siem Diamond
On September 16, 2020, Equinor Canada Ltd. reported that a fire had occurred earlier that morning on the fast rescue craft (FRC) onboard the M/V Siem Diamond vessel, which was on stand-by at the time to the Transocean Barents.
All personnel safely mustered, there were no injuries and all personnel were accounted for. The fire team was able to quickly extinguish the fire, however the FRC received extensive damage and was deemed unavailable. There were no reports of other damage or impairments to the vessel.
As the FRC on the stand-by vessel M/V Siem Diamond was unavailable for use, all planned helicopter flights and other non-critical operations on board the Transocean Barents were temporarily suspended. A replacement stand-by vessel was deployed to the rig location and has assumed stand-by duties. The Transocean Barents has resumed operations.
The C-NLOPB is monitoring Equinor’s investigation of the incident.
About C-NLOPB BOARD
The C-NLOPB was created in 1986 through the Atlantic Accord and its associated, implementing federal and provincial legislation, the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Atlantic Accord Implementation Act, S.C. 1987, c. 3 and the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Atlantic Accord Implementation Newfoundland and Labrador Act, RSNL1990 c. C-2 (“the Accord Acts”). It regulates petroleum-related activities in the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Area. While the C-NLOPB is an independent regulator that operates at arms-length from the governments, some Board decisions (referred to under the Accord Acts as “Fundamental Decisions”) require government approval, as does its annual operating budget. The Board has seven, part-time positions — three appointed by the Government of Canada and three by the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, with a Chair who is appointed jointly by the two governments.
