19 May, 2017

Australian oil well leaked into ocean for months – but spill kept secret

An offshore oil and gas well in Australia leaked oil continuously into the ocean for two months in 2016, releasing an estimated 10,500 litres. But the spill was never made public by the regulator and details about the well, its whereabouts and operator remain secret.
 The National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental
Management Authority says the oil leak went on for two months.
In its annual offshore performance report released this week, the National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority included a mention of a 10,500-litre spill in April 2016. It provided limited details about, noting that it had been identified during a routine inspection.

After inquiries from the Guardian, Nopsema said the leak went on for two months, at a rate of about 175 litres a day. It went unnoticed while the floating platform was undergoing maintenance and was only discovered when the platform returned.


Read Michael Slezak’s story on The Guardian - “Australian oil well leaked into ocean for months – but spill kept secret.”

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