Dozens of oil workers airlifted ashore after Covid-19 outbreak on North Sea rig

ENERGY giant Shell has flown 85 workers to shore following a Covid outbreak at the Shearwater oil and gas field in the North Sea.

A total of 15 positive cases have been identified in the past ten days on the floating accommodation which is connected to the main platform by bridge.

All of those have been taken off the facility, alongside 70 other workers who have been in close contact.

The platform, which lies 100 miles east off the coast of Aberdeen, provides support for several surrounding fields, was offline undergoing maintenance meaning production has not been affected, a spokesman for Shell said.

The operator said all crew members are tested before being mobilised offshore, with testing carried out every four days on people living in the Safe Zephyrus flotel.

Shearwater was brought online in 2000 and remains among the biggest producing fields in the North Sea

A spokesman for the FTSE100 heavyweight said: “Our priority is the health and wellbeing of our people and contractors, and safe operations across all our activities.

“We are taking all appropriate precautions, in line with our procedures and national protocols related to coronavirus.”

In April, nearly 60 close contacts were removed from the flotel after four positive cases on board.

Scotland has seen a rise in cases over the past week, and now has five of the ten worst affected areas in Europe.