North Sea operator CNR International has been fined £300,000 ($396,300) after exceeding its venting limit at the Ninian fields in 2024, the UK's North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) said.
CNR reported on 26 November 2024 that it had exceeded its consent to vent 273.2t of gas between 15 June and 31 December that year. It exceeded the limit by 20.9t.
The company was fined £250,000 earlier this year for exceeding venting limits twice at the same fields in 2023.
Venting occurs when excess gas, predominantly methane, is released unignited into the atmosphere.
The NSTA increased the penalty for the latest breach, even though it was small and limited in time, because it was CNR's third breach of a venting consent at the same location.
The repeated breaches showed "an absence of effective internal process and a failure to learn sufficiently from the previous breaches", the regulator said. CNR argued that the fine was disproportionate and excessive, according to the NSTA.
"Failure to comply with the terms and conditions of a licence or consent has the potential to undermine public confidence in the ability of the industry to operate within prescribed limits," the NSTA said, adding that such breaches could also undermine investor confidence.
Emissions from North Sea oil and gas production still account for just over 3pc of total UK greenhouse gas emissions, and the industry must maintain its focus on cutting emissions to help the UK reach net zero by 2050, the NSTA said.
CNR has begun decommissioning the Ninian fields. A consultation on draft decommissioning programmes for the Ninian Central topsides closes on 16 October, while the decommissioning programme for the Ninian Southern topsides was approved in February.
