Pressure intensifies as more oil leaks found
Source: Agencies |
August 22, 2011, Monday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
THE Chinese unit of Conoco-Phillips has found nine oil leak sites amid intensifying pressure on the company to clean up spills in Bohai Bay. The company says it believes the source of the seeps is not new.
ConocoPhillips China operates offshore wells in Bohai's Penglai 19-3 oilfield in partnership with state-run China National Offshore Oil Corp. Two spills, which occurred in June, covered 840 square kilometers.
The North China Sea branch of the State Oceanic Administration said ConocoPhillips admitted on Saturday there were nine oil leak sites on the seabed on the northwest side of the C platform of the Penglai 19-3 oilfield.
It said it has asked the company to conduct a thorough investigation.
ConocoPhillips spokesman Rich Johnson said yesterday the company's Chinese unit is closely monitoring and taking samples from nine "small seeps" in an area of the sea floor 15 meters in diameter.
The oil spills have deepened concern for the marine environment in Bohai Bay, a major fisheries region off China's northeast coast that is already suffering heavy pollution from industry and agriculture.
ConocoPhillips said testing of oil particles collected from shorelines found that only two of 56 could be traced to the oil spills. Most, it said, appeared to be from fuel oil.
Johnson said the first of the seeps was discovered on August 14 and reported to China's oceanic administration the following day. He said the source of the seeps is not new, and is likely to be related to the June 17 oil spill.
He added: "While samples are still being analyzed, it is believed the source of these seeps is residual mineral oil-based mud associated with the June 17 release that is migrating up from shallow subsurface sand layers."
He said the total volume of material released from the nine seeps is about two liters a day.
"Any oil droplets released from the seep area are contained and cleaned up at the surface," he said, adding that the company is developing plans to stop the seeps.
In total, the company says about 115 cubic meters (700 barrels) of oil and 400 cubic meters of mineral oil-based drilling mud, used as a lubricant for drilling, were released in the two spills.
Johnson said ConocoPhillips has cleaned up about 90 percent - 370 cubic meters - of the mineral oil-based drilling mud released in the June 17 spill.
ConocoPhillips China on Friday apologized for the oil spills and said the clean-up from the leaks is almost complete, with minimal impact on the environment.
ConocoPhillips China operates offshore wells in Bohai's Penglai 19-3 oilfield in partnership with state-run China National Offshore Oil Corp. Two spills, which occurred in June, covered 840 square kilometers.
The North China Sea branch of the State Oceanic Administration said ConocoPhillips admitted on Saturday there were nine oil leak sites on the seabed on the northwest side of the C platform of the Penglai 19-3 oilfield.
It said it has asked the company to conduct a thorough investigation.
ConocoPhillips spokesman Rich Johnson said yesterday the company's Chinese unit is closely monitoring and taking samples from nine "small seeps" in an area of the sea floor 15 meters in diameter.
The oil spills have deepened concern for the marine environment in Bohai Bay, a major fisheries region off China's northeast coast that is already suffering heavy pollution from industry and agriculture.
ConocoPhillips said testing of oil particles collected from shorelines found that only two of 56 could be traced to the oil spills. Most, it said, appeared to be from fuel oil.
Johnson said the first of the seeps was discovered on August 14 and reported to China's oceanic administration the following day. He said the source of the seeps is not new, and is likely to be related to the June 17 oil spill.
He added: "While samples are still being analyzed, it is believed the source of these seeps is residual mineral oil-based mud associated with the June 17 release that is migrating up from shallow subsurface sand layers."
He said the total volume of material released from the nine seeps is about two liters a day.
"Any oil droplets released from the seep area are contained and cleaned up at the surface," he said, adding that the company is developing plans to stop the seeps.
In total, the company says about 115 cubic meters (700 barrels) of oil and 400 cubic meters of mineral oil-based drilling mud, used as a lubricant for drilling, were released in the two spills.
Johnson said ConocoPhillips has cleaned up about 90 percent - 370 cubic meters - of the mineral oil-based drilling mud released in the June 17 spill.
ConocoPhillips China on Friday apologized for the oil spills and said the clean-up from the leaks is almost complete, with minimal impact on the environment.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
