Austrian oil and gas company OMV has reportedly accidentally cut its drill pipe during drilling rig tests offshore New Zealand.
The local news website Otago Daily Times on Wednesday reported that the drill pipe cutting incident happened in January during a test aboard the COSL Prospector semi-submersible drilling rig.
The incident happened, reported citing OMV Australasia director, when a blow-out preventer was activated by accident, shearing off the drill pipe.
OMV Australasia senior vice-president Gabriel Selischi told Otago Daily Times that "‘at no point was there any potential for a release of hydrocarbons to the environment as the well was cased and cemented."