A temporary flight ban on the two helicopter models was put in place following a crash of an offshore flight off Norway this year that left 13 oil workers dead. The ban was later lifted by the European Aviation Safety Authority (EASA) but Norway’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has not yet lifted its own ban on commercial flights of the Super Puma models.

Airbus Helicopters chief executive Guillaume Faury said: “Airbus Helicopters takes note of Statoil’s safety concerns regarding helicopter offshore operations.

“I regret the timing of Statoil’s comments during a difficult period for the offshore community as a whole, at a time when we are working with the Norwegian Authorities and investigation team to address the specific concerns regarding the return to service of the H225 and AS332 L2 in the region.

“We also continue to work with customers worldwide to ensure the safe operation of the more than 120 helicopters of the H225 and AS332 L2 family flying today.”

Statoil’s decision means that the only helicopter model left in commercial use to and from Norwegian offshore oil and gas installations is the Sikorsky S-92. CHC Helikopter Service chief executive Arne Roland told ­Upstream that it would be a gamble for the oil companies to solely rely on one single aircraft model. “If something happens to the S-92 which results in grounding of the aircraft, the industry will have a major problem,” he said.

Hamremoen said the company has an ongoing internal project which is evaluating different alternatives for helicopter transportation, and Upstream has learned that representatives from the company have started to study alternative helicopters.

However, Hamremoen said he has confidence in the S-92. “The aircraft has a very good track record. The reason we grounded the Super Puma following the crash in April was also related to a history of problems with the model. I am not sure we would have done the same if it was a S-92 that crashed,” he said.

Last week, Norwegian research center Sintef released its fourth helicopter safety study in a series of comprehensive studies carried out on the Norwegian continental shelf.

The study covers the period from 2009 to 2015, and will also look into future developments. It concludes that helicopter transportation safety is relatively high in Norway, even when one includes the fatal crash at Turoy in April. From 1999 to 2016 there was one casualty per million flight hours in Norway, compared to four casualties per million flight hours in the UK.

However, workers’ unions and helicopter companies have raised concerns that cost-cutting programmes initiated by oil companies have reduced safety levels. “All of the helicopter companies are losing money. This has implications for safety,” Roland said.

Hamremoen told reporters that the company is concerned that the helicopter companies are in financial difficulties and added that Statoil is in dialogue with them about this. However, he added that “a large company like CHC Helicopters must be responsible for its own financials”.

Another issue causing concern in Norway is the new regulations being proposed by the European Union’s Aviation Safety Agency aimed at securing a level playing field for the industry and ensuring high safety standards throughout Europe. Both the oil and gas industry and unions believe the regulations will reduce safety for helicopter transport on the continental shelf by allowing aircraft from countries without offshore experience to fly off Norway.

Statoil said it is essential that the industry’s efficiency improvement efforts and focus on costs must not undermine safety on the Norwegian continental shelf. However, it added that the “possible introduction in Norway of common European safety requirements will change the risk picture associated with helicopter operations”. Hamremoen said Statoil would base all of its future contracts on Norway’s Norsok standards, and insisted that the company does not want to see Norwegian standards weakened.

Source: Upstream Online