In the latest incidents workers were evacuated from the Britannia platform, 210 kilometres north east of Aberdeen, following an explosion in one of the three generators on board. There were no reports of injuries and a company spokesman said there was no resultant fire.

78 non-essential personnel were evacuated while 72 remained at their posts. Production from the platform has been shutdown and will remain shutdown until situation can be fully assessed

Before shutdown, the field was producing 700 million standard cubic feet of gas a day. A spokesman said the field produced an average of 31,000 barrels of condensate in May. Britannia was shut for a day last month after a power generator failed.

In Indonesia, a fire that engulfed BP Indonesia's North West Java Bravo offshore production platform is now under control, according to a Pertamina spokesman. BP Indonesia operates the field under a production sharing contract with Pertamina.

No casualties were reported in this incident. "We are trying to determine the cause of the fire at this time," a Pertamina spokesman said, "but it appears that will take some time. The platform will be shutdown for some time while the investigation into the fire is conducted and then while repairs are made and the platform restored to operating condition."

The production platform produces 40 million cubic feet of natural gas per day, and supplies to state-owned natural gas company PT Perusahaan Gas Negara and a power plant in north Jakarta operated by PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara. For the time being, PLN will have to buy diesel from Pertamina as fuel for the power plant.