Fatality At North Rankin Complex

An incident that resulted in the death of an employee of one of Woodside’s contractor companies occurred at approximately 12pm AWST on June 2 on the offshore Woodside-operated North Rankin Complex, Woodside revealed recently.

The incident occurred during work activity being carried out at the North Rankin Complex, Woodside said in a statement posted on its website, adding that all other people on board are safe.

“This is a very sad day for the extended Woodside family and I offer my deepest sympathy to our colleague’s family, friends, and workmates,” Woodside CEO Meg O’Neill said in a company statement.

“Any loss of life is heartbreaking … We are taking all steps to understand the circumstances around this tragic event and are cooperating closely with Western Australian Police and the National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Emergency Authority in their ongoing investigations,” O’Neill added.

In its statement, Woodside noted that senior company executives are travelling to Karratha and that counselling and support services are being made available to employees and contractors through the company’s Employee Assistance Program.

In a statement posted on its website over the weekend, Vertech Group Pty Ltd confirmed that there had been an incident involving one of its employees at the North Rankin Complex.

“We can confirm that this team member has tragically passed away,” the company said in the statement.

“The entire Vertech Group send our deepest condolences to his family, friends, and colleagues. We are devastated by this loss,” the company added.

“Our immediate priorities are focused on supporting our site teams, employees, business partners and the family of our employee. We will also continue to work with authorities on site,” it continued.

In a statement posted on Vertech Group’s website on Monday, Vertech Group Managing Director Tom Brennan revealed the identity of the team member.

“It is with great sadness that Vertech Group Pty Ltd advises that on Friday 2 June 2023, there was a serious incident on the North Rankin Alpha off the Pilbara coast in which one of our valued employees passed away,” Brennan said.

“On behalf of our entire Vertech workforce, we extend our condolences to Michael Jurman’s family, friends, and colleagues. Michael has been part of the Vertech family since 2016 and his loss will be felt deeply,” he added.

“Michael was a humble, caring, genuine guy, who brought a positive attitude to every team he was a part of. He had a beautiful attitude to life, and he was well thought of by those around him. Michael was passionate about rock climbing and caving which naturally led him to excel and love rope access. He enjoyed music, having played in a symphonic orchestra as a violist for 13 years,” he continued.

“Our thoughts and support are with the team and families who have been affected by the incident. Vertech is often referred to as a family; never has this been more evident than over the last few days. The team who has been responding would like to thank everyone for their compassionate messages and support. They have been warmly received and have helped sustain the team,” Brennan went on to state.

Commenting on the incident, Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association (APPEA) Chief Executive Samantha McCulloch said, “Australia’s oil and gas industry offers its condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of a worker who died … at Woodside Energy’s North Rankin Complex off Western Australia”.

“This is a shock and a tragedy for our industry, which prioritizes workplace health and safety. APPEA and its membership offers its sympathies to all those impacted by this loss,” McCulloch added in a statement sent to Rigzone.

The North Rankin Complex includes the North Rankin A and North Rankin B platforms and is Australia’s largest offshore gas processing facility, Woodside’s website highlights. It is located 135 kilometers north-west of Karratha, stands in 125 meters of water, and has a daily production capacity of up to 66,000 tons of dry gas and 6000 tons of condensate from the North Rankin and Perseus fields, the site shows.

To contact the author, email andreas.exarheas@rigzone.com