Sepehdar Abbaszadeh described the fire at SPD14D, the rescue operation for the platform's 17 personnel, how the fire was brought under control, and plans to investigate the cause and return the platform to production.

Abbaszadeh said the fire broke out in the southern section of SPD14D at 19:30 on Tuesday (November 10). The POGC crisis management committee convened immediately, and rescue, evacuation and firefighting operations were put on the agenda.

He said the personnel on the offshore platform, relying on their safety training and existing procedures and acting promptly, shut down production, vented the gas on the platform, and finally boarded the lifeboats and left the platform in full health and safety.

Noting the poor weather at the time, he said: "The sea was extremely rough, with strong winds and waves of around four meters. Even so, the relevant risks were identified and managed immediately after the crisis management committee was formed, and rescue vessels were dispatched to the area for firefighting and to assist the personnel." He added that, in coordination with the Pars Special Economic Energy Zone Organization and its ports division, vessels passing through the Persian Gulf shipping corridor were also asked to help.

He added that a helicopter carrying a support team was also sent to the area, but because the platform could not be confirmed safe for landing, the team could not be put down and the helicopter had to return to shore.

17 personnel rescued in difficult sea conditions

Describing the rescue, the POGC deputy said rescue and firefighting operations ran simultaneously and continuously. At around 5 a.m., after several hours of effort, the lifeboat carrying 17 colleagues was secured by rope to a rescue vessel.

Abbaszadeh said that because of the height of the waves, personnel could not be transferred directly from the lifeboat to the rescue vessel. It was therefore decided to connect the lifeboat to the main vessel and, taking the current into account, head toward Lavan Island.

On the latest status of the transfer, he said that at the last contact the vessel was about 15 nautical miles from Lavan Island and had reached an area where the sea was somewhat calmer. The personnel were therefore moved from the lifeboat to the main vessel, and all were reported to be in good condition.

He said arrangements had been made with the health and treatment services and other relevant bodies to provide the personnel with whatever they need, and the teams concerned are ready to act once the vessel arrives.

Abbaszadeh stressed that POGC's first and foremost priority was saving its colleagues' lives, and that this mission had been accomplished. The personnel spent about 15 hours in difficult sea conditions and, despite seasickness, no injuries have been reported. He said seasickness is normal in such conditions, and expressed hope that the colleagues would reach Nakhilu port, near Lavan Island, in full health this afternoon.

Fire fully contained

On firefighting, he said operations to save the platform and its facilities from the fire began alongside the rescue effort, and the fire was ultimately brought completely under control.

Referring to the shutdown of SPD14D, he said the platform produced about 14 million cubic meters of gas per day, and this volume has been made up using the production capacity of other platforms. Overall, he said, there has been no change in rich gas output from the shared South Pars field and no decline in the field's production; in other words, the lost output was compensated immediately.

Cause to be investigated once weather improves

On steps to assess the platform and identify the cause, Abbaszadeh said efforts began this morning to send a helicopter and an expert team to inspect the platform, but heavy rain and strong winds have so far prevented the mission.

He said the company hopes that, in the early afternoon and in line with weather forecasts, conditions will improve enough for the expert team to reach the damaged platform and examine the facilities up close. Once these assessments are done, a decision will be made on how to return the platform to production.

Responding to a question about the rescue operation, he said the platform is about 100 kilometers from shore, and those working in offshore operations know well that bad weather directly affects the speed and feasibility of vessel movements.

He said that in normal conditions, with a calm and wave-free sea, fast boats can reach the area from shore in about three hours, and heavy vessels in about six to seven hours. Last night's stormy conditions, with four-meter waves, made for a completely different situation.

He said the company's first rescue vessel was already in the area of the platforms, but to reach SPD14D it had to travel about 30 kilometers at sea. With the waves striking the vessel broadside, movement was very difficult, which lengthened the time it took to reach the scene.

The POGC deputy stressed that, in such adverse sea conditions, getting vessels to the scene and rescuing colleagues was the top priority, and he thanked all colleagues and organizations in the region who cooperated and helped in the operation.

Cause to be determined after field inspection

Asked about the possible causes of the fire, Abbaszadeh said no definitive statement can be made until field inspections are carried out and the expert team reaches the platform.

He added that SPD14D is one of the relatively new platforms to have entered production. At the crisis management committee meeting, reports on maintenance and work carried out on the platform over the past two weeks were reviewed. Based on those reports, no process or performance problems had been reported on the platform, and no special repairs or critical maintenance had been carried out during that period.

Staff acted professionally under safety procedures

Praising the platform personnel's conduct during the incident, the POGC deputy said: "Our colleagues acted very professionally and with full command of the situation, in line with safety procedures." He said onshore teams, crisis management committee members, partner organizations in the region, the local community, the governor and other officials and bodies also took part and gave valuable help in rescuing the personnel.

Asked about the condition of the personnel after about 15 hours at sea, he said the company worked throughout to keep in touch with them, maintaining continuous radio contact. Vessels were also stationed near the lifeboat's position to follow the operation directly.

On the difficulty of securing the lifeboat, he said: "Doing this in a sea with four-meter waves was extremely hard. It took several hours to pass the rope from the vessel to the lifeboat and secure it, because the constant movement of both through the waves made it very difficult to get close to each other and catch the line. Even so, the operations team acted with skill and professionalism, and fortunately we got through this stage successfully."

He stressed that the company's most important asset is its people, and that in POGC's operations and support division the first concern and focus was saving the lives of these colleagues, with protection of facilities and equipment pursued after that.

Abbaszadeh added: "We hope the weather improves as soon as possible so that we can get to the platform. After that, the cause of the incident will be investigated and the extent of the damage assessed, and, based on that information, planning for rebuilding and returning the platform to production will begin as soon as possible."