Norwegian Petroleum Safety Authority (PSA) launched an investigation into a liquefied natural gas leak at the Equinor-operated Hammerfest LNG facility on June 17. 

This incident occurred while a road tanker was being filled with LNG at the Equinor, formerly Statoil, facility at Melkøya outside Hammerfest around 14:00 on June 17, PSA said in its statement.

“During the operation, the tanker driver noticed LNG emerging from the vehicle’s safety valves. The filling was halted with the emergency switch, an evacuation alarm was sounded and personnel mustered,” the statement reads.

By 20:30, the leak rate had been reduced to a level where detectors in the area no longer showed readings.

PSA said that an investigation team is due to begin work at the facility during the week, with an aim to clarify the course of events, describe actual and potential consequences and to identify direct and underlying causes, all resulting in a report to be published at a later date.