Shell is looking at additional setbacks at its Shearwater production hub in the UK North Sea with now close to 120 people linked to a Covid-19 outbreak. Last week, the company confirmed 15 people tested positive for the virus along with 70 close contacts since the first case was identified on June 30.

However, that number has now climbed to 20 and a further 98 close contacts, all of whom have either been evacuated or are in isolation waiting to leave. The positive cases had been identified on the Safe Zephyrus floatel next to the Shell-operated platform, located 225 km east of Aberdeen.

This is the second time in a few months that offshore workers have had to be evacuated. In April, around 60 people were flown ashore from the Shearwater field after four positive cases on board the floater.

The Shearwater platform provides support for several surrounding fields and was offline undergoing maintenance. It was brought online in 2000 and it remains among the biggest producing fields in the North Sea.