Poole Harbour Commissioners (PHC) has activated an oil spill plan and the pipeline had been shut down, with booms placed on either side of the leak, BBC said…reports Asian Lite News
Anglo-French oil company Perenco’s UK unit said on Sunday that a limited oil leak occurred at one of its well sites in Wytch Farm in Dorset, southern England.
Perenco UK said the spill was being contained and an investigation will be launched.
“Any spill is an extremely serious matter and a full investigation will be launched to ascertain what happened in Poole Harbour,” Perenco UK’s Wytch Farm General Manager Franck Dy said in a statement.
BBC reported that a major incident was declared after about 200 barrels of reservoir fluid leaked into the water at Poole Harbour.
Perenco UK produces about 40,000 barrels of oil equivalent a day, of which about 14,000 barrels is from Wytch Farm.
Poole Harbour Commissioners (PHC) has activated an oil spill plan and the pipeline had been shut down, with booms placed on either side of the leak, BBC said.
PHC did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for a comment.
Last year, the company’s parent company declared force majeure for 150 days following a leak at its Cap Lopez oil terminal in Gabon.
Franck Dy, Perenco UK’s Wytch Farm general manager, said: “Any spill is an extremely serious matter and a full investigation will be launched to ascertain what happened in Poole harbour.”
Anyone who came into contact with the spill was being urged to “wash immediately with soap and water”.
The area is a haven for wildlife and has been designated a site of special scientific interest. The UK Health Security Agency South West echoed the swimming advice in response to the leak.
An Environment Agency spokesperson said: “We have received reports of a large amount of oil in Poole harbour and we are supporting the port authority and other partners in responding to this incident.”
Philip Broadhead, the leader of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole council, said “all relevant partner agencies” were working to address the incident. “As leader of the council I will, along with the senior council team, be working to see what implications this leak may have and what action we may need to take.”
“It is of course extremely disappointing to hear of this event, and while there will be a time later for anger and investigation, our focus now must be on ensuring we can mitigate any impacts of this situation.”
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