Oil spillage culprit told to clean up act ... again
Source: Xinhua |
August 18, 2011, Thursday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
CHINA'S maritime authority yesterday once again urged ConocoPhillips China, - a subsidiary of the United States-based oil company ConocoPhillips - to take effective measures to contain oil spills and clean up oil-contaminated mud in the Bohai Bay before September.
Measures taken by ConocoPhillips China so far are only temporary and cannot effectively eliminate the risks of more spills, the State Oceanic Administration said in a statement.
ConocoPhillips China previously reported two oil spills from platforms to authorities in June. It was told by the SOA to contain the oil spill originating from its B platform and recover oil-contaminated mud from its C platform in the Penglai 19-3 oilfield in the Bohai Bay before September.
However, oil slicks discovered earlier this month near the platforms led to suspicions that the company has made little progress.
ConocoPhillips China later admitted that a new oil spill source was located on the B platform and 2,500 barrels of oil and mud have, to date, leaked from the platforms.
Spread to beaches
The SOA said that ConocoPhillips China has not completely contained the oil spill originating from its B platform. And neither can it explain the new oil spill source in the B platform and newly-discovered oil-contaminated mud near the C platform.
Oil has spread to beaches in the nearby provinces of Hebei and Liaoning and has been blamed for losses in the provinces' tourism and aquatic farming industries.
The ecological implications for the Bohai Bay will be long-lasting, Cui Wenlin, director of the North China Sea Environment Monitoring Center, recently told the Economic Information Daily newspaper.
Seafood from Bohai Bay is still safe to eat for now, but if the bay experiences more spills it is possible seafood from there may become contaminated, Cui said.
The SOA confirmed on Tuesday that it will sue companies found to be responsible for oil leaks that have damaged the country's coastline environments. It did not specify how much it would sue companies for.
Oil-drilling operations in the field are conducted by ConocoPhillips China in cooperation with the China National Offshore Oil Corporation or CNOOC.
Measures taken by ConocoPhillips China so far are only temporary and cannot effectively eliminate the risks of more spills, the State Oceanic Administration said in a statement.
ConocoPhillips China previously reported two oil spills from platforms to authorities in June. It was told by the SOA to contain the oil spill originating from its B platform and recover oil-contaminated mud from its C platform in the Penglai 19-3 oilfield in the Bohai Bay before September.
However, oil slicks discovered earlier this month near the platforms led to suspicions that the company has made little progress.
ConocoPhillips China later admitted that a new oil spill source was located on the B platform and 2,500 barrels of oil and mud have, to date, leaked from the platforms.
Spread to beaches
The SOA said that ConocoPhillips China has not completely contained the oil spill originating from its B platform. And neither can it explain the new oil spill source in the B platform and newly-discovered oil-contaminated mud near the C platform.
Oil has spread to beaches in the nearby provinces of Hebei and Liaoning and has been blamed for losses in the provinces' tourism and aquatic farming industries.
The ecological implications for the Bohai Bay will be long-lasting, Cui Wenlin, director of the North China Sea Environment Monitoring Center, recently told the Economic Information Daily newspaper.
Seafood from Bohai Bay is still safe to eat for now, but if the bay experiences more spills it is possible seafood from there may become contaminated, Cui said.
The SOA confirmed on Tuesday that it will sue companies found to be responsible for oil leaks that have damaged the country's coastline environments. It did not specify how much it would sue companies for.
Oil-drilling operations in the field are conducted by ConocoPhillips China in cooperation with the China National Offshore Oil Corporation or CNOOC.
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