Premier Oil was warned by regulators after issues with the Balmoral platform’s flare created a safety risk.

In a prohibition notice serviced in March, an HSE inspector said gases were not being burnt by the flare system.

That created “potential” for gas from the “unignited flare” to accumulate on the installation, “resulting in a risk of fire and explosion”.

A spokesman for Premier Oil said the company had taken steps to fix the problem on the platform, 125 miles north-east of Aberdeen.

The spokesman said: “It is our highest priority to operate all of our assets in a safe and responsible manner and Premier has taken all the appropriate action to address the issue raised in the prohibition notice.”