Chevron continued to battle an oil sheen offshore Brazil over the weekend while accepting 'full responsibility' for a leak at the Frade field that spilled between 5000 and 8000 barrels of oil, the company said 20 November 2011.
Chevron said the sheen had been reduced to 18 barrels or less and that no further oil was escaping from the development well at the Campos Basin field. The well was shut in at the surface 9 November and drilling operations suspended while Chevron investigated the spill and deployed response vessels. Frade's 79,000boe/d production, however, has remained uninterrupted throughout the incident.
As many as 18 vessels have been deployed to support well plugging operations and spill cleanup, Chevron said. Droplets of residual oil continue to drain from seafloor seep lines but the company said it believed no new oil was being emitted.
'Chevron takes full responsibility for this incident,' said Chevron Brazil country manager George Buck. 'We are committed to deploying resources until the sheen can no longer be detected.'
Chevron was drilling the appraisal well when a kick opened a segment of the wellbore, allowing fluid to escape through fissures to the seafloor, according to the company's preliminary assessment of the incident.
Brazil's National Petroleum Agency estimated the amount of oil spilled at up to 8000 barrels. Chevron said a revised estimate would be complete 'within days.'
Oil production at Frade began in June 2009. The FPSO project, Chevron's first operated deepwater development in Brazil, is in 3700ft water depths.
Chevron holds 52% interest in the project. Petrobras and FJPL have 30% and 18%, respectively.
By: Russell McCulley,rmcculley@offshore-engineer.com
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