Norwegian energy giant Equinor has acknowledged serious safety failures after multiple workers fell ill from toxic gas exposure at its Melkøya processing plant. The company's internal investigation reveals chemical tank venting released harmful gases that reached ground level where employees worked.
Workers experienced dizziness, nausea, and vomiting during the incidents. Many reported sore eyes, burning throats, inflamed mucous membranes, and lost their voices. Additional symptoms included stomach problems, headaches, heart palpitations, cold sweats, breathing difficulties, and nosebleeds.
Some affected employees have struggled with persistent health issues long after the exposures occurred. Several required extended sick leave following the incidents. The health problems repeatedly affected workers over a period spanning from summer 2024 through summer 2025.
Equinor's report states the exact amount of toxic gas released remains highly uncertain. Monitoring equipment did not operate continuously, creating data gaps. After initial testing in early July 2024, no further gas sampling occurred until April the following year. Between April and August, investigators collected only 31 samples from two tanks.
The situation became public knowledge in June after media investigations revealed Equinor continued operations despite workers repeatedly falling ill from gas exposure. Norway's Petroleum Safety Authority later determined not all incidents had been properly reported, launching its own investigation one year after the initial events.
Multiple factors contributed to the dangerous situation. Wind conditions carried the vented gases down to ground level where personnel worked. The company now admits initial risk assessments were inadequate when the project began and follow-up measures proved insufficient.
Regular testing of vented gases was not conducted, and safety measures implemented after the first incident failed to prevent recurrences. Chemical tank venting should theoretically release only water vapor and nitrogen, both harmless substances that comprise most of the air we breathe.
Christina Dreetz, director of Equinor's land facilities, acknowledged the company should have investigated more thoroughly when initial exposure cases occurred last summer. "We must recognize that we should have gone more in depth to map the causes when the first cases of exposure occurred at Melkøya," Dreetz stated.
The investigation confirmed workers' health complaints were genuine physical reactions, not psychological responses to fear or stress. While the exact gas mixture causing the symptoms remains unclear, measurements detected harmful benzene concentrations. Hydrogen sulfide and several volatile organic compounds likely contributed to the toxic mix.
Equinor claims it has now implemented necessary safety improvements including technical solutions, regular gas sampling, and ground-level monitoring. "Through measures during and after the investigation, we now have routines that enable us to handle the risk in a better way," Dreetz said.
This incident highlights ongoing safety challenges in Norway's energy sector despite its reputation for high operational standards. The delayed response and inadequate initial measures raise questions about corporate safety culture even within established industry leaders. International energy companies operating in Nordic regions should note that even technically advanced facilities can experience basic safety protocol failures with serious consequences for workers.
Recent measurements show most gas concentrations have remained low, with benzene and other volatile organic compounds appearing only sporadically and briefly. The company maintains current exposure levels are unlikely to cause long-term health problems, though affected workers continue reporting persistent symptoms.