Shell closes oil leaking valve in the North Sea

[News_Editor]

Shell closes oil leaking valve in the North Sea

2011-08-20 04:48:37 GMT+7 (ICT)

LONDON (BNO NEWS) -- Shell divers have closed a relief valve from which oil had been spilling into the North Sea at one of the pipelines serving the Gannet Alpha platform, the company said on Friday.

Glen Cayley, Technical Director of Shell's exploration and production activities in Europe, said closing the valve was a key step in the operation to stop the leakage in the North Sea. "It was a careful and complex operation conducted by skilled divers, with support from our technical teams onshore. But we will be watching the line closely over the next 24 hours and beyond," he said.

Cayley further said that the company will now enter a monitoring phase to check the flow line remains sealed. Meanwhile, to secure it to the seabed, 24 concrete mats have been laid and more will be put down in the coming days. "Our next task is to remove the residual oil from inside the depressurized flow line, and that will take time," Cayley added.

After receiving criticism for not disclosing information about the size of the oil spill at the Gannet Alpha platform, located 180 kilometers (113 miles) east of Aberdeen, Scotland, Shell made a statement on Monday to reveal the size of the spill.

The company at that time estimated the volume of oil spilled was about 216 tons (1,300 barrels) since the leakage was detected on August 10 and assured the situation was "under control."

However, on Tuesday, Shell admitted there was a secondary leaking point which was spilling oil into the sea at a rate of less than one barrel a day. Huge Shaw, representative of the UK Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), confirmed on Friday that Shell had informed them that both valves had been closed by divers.

Shell has set up an investigation team to establish the cause of the leak as it continues to monitor the conditions of the sea which affects the dispersal of the oil and undertake surveys to assess the environmental impact of the spillage. The oil company also said it is working closely with the UK authorities as they conduct their own investigations.

Two weeks ago, Shell admitted responsibility for two devastating oil spills in Nigeria's Ogoniland region where thousands of gallons were spilled in 2008 and 2009, affecting the livelihoods of 69,000 people. It will take at least 20 years to clean it up.

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