Azerbaijan’s state-owned oil company, SOCAR, has evacuated 500 offshore workers in the Caspian Sea, because of the awaited severe weather conditions. Yet, BP continued its operations.
In light of the approaching, challenging weather conditions, SOCAR evacuated about 500 offshore workers, some by air and some by maritime transport and halted operations.
According to the company’s statement
On September 21-22, due to the severe deterioration of weather conditions, SOCAR significantly enhanced its security measures.
On the contrary, Trend.az, an Azeri business news website, informed that BP continued its operations at its Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli offshore project, despite the weather conditions.
Overall, the weather poses a great threat to those operating in the sea, as it can lead to injuries of the crew and can also result to the damage of an offshore terminal. Recently, Bloomberg reported, citing Mike Eilts, senior vice president for weather at DTN, that increasing wind speeds can put oil rigs at risk. Therefore, companies that monitor weather have established a competitive new industry in collaboration with the offshore industry, to monitor the weather and know what to expect.
