The Health and Safety Executive said in a statement it had carried out inspections during the repairs of Ineos' 450,000 barrels per day Forties Pipeline which was shut down on Dec. 11 following the discovery of a hairline crack.
The inspectors "were satisfied that Ineos had carried out the work safely and to appropriate standards," it said.
"HSE's investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident is on-going."
Forties plays an important role in the global market as it is the biggest of the five North Sea crude streams underpinning Brent, a benchmark used for oil trading in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia.
(Reporting by Ron Bousso, editing by David Evans)
