StatoilHydro, the Nordic regions largest oil and natural gas producer, said they found a serious oil leak in the North Sea at its Statfjord oil field. The company has evacuated all 217 workers who were on the platforms excluding emergency workers.
"The situation is serious and confused," the company has said. No one has been hurt or gone missing and the clean up crews are rapidly working to fix the mess.
On the day the leak was found, production was stopped at three main platforms: Statfjord A, Snorre A and Vigdis in the North Sea. The oil leak in a storage cell in Statfjord A has now been stopped.
The Statfjord oilfield, which is located on the Norwegian-UK boarder, was once the largest oilfield in the North Sea. The production of oil has fallen since 1987 when it was producing about 850,000 barrels a day. Today the Statfjord A produces about 19,000 barrels a day while Snorre A shoots above that with 75,000 barrels and Vigdis with 44,000 barrels a day. oil from the Vigdis platform is normally transported through the Gullfaks system and the company has said it should be redirected there by the 26th of May.
For safety reasons, the spilt oil was discharged into the sea. The company has no estimation when the other platforms will be running again.
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This post was written by Christine Pinella on May 28, 2008