The United Kingdom's Brent oil pipeline system remained shut yesterday as the operator of the Cormorant Alpha platform in the North Sea investigated a leak of hydrocarbons into one of the platform's legs, the operator said.
The closure, the second in seven weeks, started on Saturday after the leak was found at the 10,000 barrel per day (bpd) platform and the 80,000 bpd Brent pipeline system was shut as a precaution.
Abu Dhabi National Energy Company, also known as Taqa, had shut the Brent pipeline system for a few days in mid January after discovering an oil leak in one of Cormorant Alpha's legs.
A spokesman for Taqa, the platform's operator, gave no indication of when the Brent system or the platform connected to it might reopen.
"The release remained within the platform leg and no hydrocarbons entered the environment," Taqa said in a statement on its website.
Taqa personnel are working with partners to have the pipeline working again as soon as possible, it added. The company said 71 non-essential personnel were evacuated from the platform on Saturday but there were no injuries to any workers.
* Reuters
