Update on Gannet oil leak
Aug 20, 2011
An update from Shell U.K Limited on the Gannet Alpha oil leak
Yesterday, Shell divers closed the relief valve from which oil had been seeping at a rate of less than one barrel a day.
No oil has been released since that point. Continuous monitoring is being carried out to ensure the closure of the valve has been fully successful. That monitoring will continue over the weekend.
27 concrete mats have been successfully laid on the flowline in a process to secure it to the seabed. This process will also continue over the weekend.
Shell has set up an investigation team to establish the cause of the leak. We will also co-operate with government authorities and regulators as they conduct their own investigations, including supplying them with pipeline integrity reports and other information.
We are continuing to monitor the conditions of the sea which affect the dispersal of the oil, in conjunction with Marine Scotland, and to undertake surveys of bird and marine life by air surveillance and vessels in the area. These surveys, which include independent bird monitoring, have indicated no significant impact on the environment.
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