Apache Corporation, an independent energy company, has reported a pipeline rupture and fire at its Varanus Island gas processing and transportation hub offshore Western Australia.
The company reported that no one was injured and 153 people were evacuated following the onshore incident involving a pipeline transporting oil and gas from offshore production facilities to the island’s processing facilities. The company reported that 13 people remain on the island to monitor the situation.
Steven Farris, president and CEO of Apache, said: Our priorities are the safety of our personnel, securing the facilities, assuring that the environmental impact is limited to the island and resuming throughput of oil and gas production.
We will begin working as soon as possible to resume production in a safe and environmentally responsible manner. We have notified government authorities and also gas customers who will be affected by the disruption in gas supply. At this time, we cannot estimate when throughput will be resumed.