The Forties pipeline is now fully operational following maintenance work to repair a crack.
The Forties pipeline is back online as maintenance work has been carried out to repair a crack, halting oil and gas production in the North Sea and causing a rise in energy prices prior to Christmas.
The crack was found on an onshore section of the pipeline in Scotland and several people in the Netherley area were evacuated.
The pipeline is 235 miles long and connects 85 North Sea oil and gas assets to the UK, transporting 40% of the North Sea’s gas and oil to the mainland; its closure fuelled fears in regards to supply levels during December and January.
The owner and operator of the Forties infrastructure, INEOS announced today that “All restrictions on the flow of oil and gas from platforms feeding into the pipeline system have been lifted, and virtually all platforms are now online.”
INEOS added: “We apologise to our customers and the local community for the issues that the pipeline closure has created.”
The firm’s Kinneil facility has also restarted which includes a gas processing plant and an oil terminal.