The Health and Safety Executive has taken enforcement action against three major energy firms following the premature detonation of a perforating gun at the Seagull Field.
- An investigation has begun after an explosive device misfired during well operations 143 miles off the coast of Aberdeen on 15 March.
- Operator Ithaca and service firms Baker Hughes and Schlumberger have been served with improvement notices for multiple safety failings.
- No one was injured in the incident, but such events have the potential to cause serious well control issues.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has launched an investigation and taken enforcement action after an explosive device was prematurely fired in a well at the Seagull Field in the North Sea.
The incident occurred on 15 March 2025, approximately 143 miles off the coast of Aberdeen, prompting the regulator to issue safety notices to operator Ithaca Energy and contractors Baker Hughes and Schlumberger.
The misfire happened during a “perforating run” on the J4 well – a process that uses controlled explosions to create channels for oil and gas to flow.
According to reports from STV News, the perforating firing head assembly activated unintentionally on the sixth run after five previous operations had been completed successfully.
While no personnel were injured and no environmental damage was caused, the HSE’s investigation into the event is continuing.
An HSE spokesperson said: “Following an incident on March 15 this year, enforcement action has been taken and the investigation into what happened continues. Learnings from the investigation will be shared with industry following its conclusion.”
The improvement notices detail a series of failures by the companies involved. BP, which co-operates the four-well development with Ithaca, was not issued with a notice.
The HSE found the company did not ensure that pressure was increased gradually during the operation. This allowed a dangerous pressure differential to develop, which resulted in the misfire.
The company has since complied with the notice, which was closed on 31 July.
A spokesperson for Ithaca Energy told STV: “Ithaca Energy can confirm that we received an Improvement Notice from the HSE relating to an unplanned event that occurred in March 2025 on our Seagull J4 well. No injuries or environmental impact occurred as a result of the event, and normal operations have resumed.
“Ithaca Energy is committed to safe and responsible operations and accordingly have promptly executed measures to prevent any recurrence which has seen the Notice fully closed out by the HSE.”
Oilfield services provider Baker Hughes, responsible for drilling and completion services at the subsea wells, was also issued with a notice.
The safety watchdog concluded that the company failed to “ensure that appropriate instructions were given to the coiled tubing operators and pump operators”, which meant the developing pressure differential was not detected.
Schlumberger, which provides the perforating services, received three enforcement notices.
The HSE found it “did not provide adequate procedures or processes to control” the detonation mechanism.
The regulator also concluded the company had not “adequately [assessed] the risk of premature detonation” prior to the operation.
The incident did not trigger the blowout preventer – a critical safety valve – and the well has since been restored to a safe condition.
Such misfires can range from causing minor operational delays to severe well control issues, including blowouts that can lead to fatalities.
The Seagull Field is a four-well development where production from the first well began in November 2023.
The incident occurred on the fourth well, J4, which is due to start production in the second half of 2025
