Statoil has decided to temporarily remove the lifeboats on the Kristin platform from operation until they have been function-tested once again.

After faults were discovered during a system test of one of the skid boats on the Veslefrikk B platform in the North Sea, Statoil started work to verify whether that was an isolated fault on the one lifeboat, or a general construction fault on this type of lifeboat. All three lifeboats of this type on Veslefrikk B have been taken out of operation until further notice.

Kristin in the Norwegian Sea is the only other Statoil-operated field which has such skid-launched life boats.

"The uncertainty which has arisen following the incident on Veslefrikk has led us to follow the precautionary principle on Kristin also," says Tove Rørhuus, vice president for health, safety and the environment in Exploration & Production Norway.

Even though Kristin's lifeboats have been tested earlier from the platform, they will now be tested out on the field. Kristin will have a safety staffing of only 27 people on board the platform until the boats have been tested.