‘Minor’ leak at Penglai 19-3

 6/5/2012

A scheduled oil transfer was interrupted when approximately 3.8 barrels of oil were released from the Penglai 19-3 offshore oilfield in Bohai Bay, the field's operator ConocoPhillips China announced on Tuesday, 5 June 2012.

The company said in a statement that the oil spilled after a marine hose coupling parted during transfer operations on Sunday, 3 June. It is currently investigating why the coupling disconnected.

ConocoPhillips said that a surveillance team boarded a helicopter at daybreak on 4 June and indentified a single sheen. The company then deployed an oil containment boom and an oil skimming vessel to begin clean-up operations. ConocoPhillips said it conducted three additional aerial surveys and concluded on 5 June that the sheen was no longer present.

ConocoPhillips said that the current incident is not related to last June's spill, which released 3,217 barrels of oil and oil-based drilling fluids into Bohai Bay.

ConocoPhillips operates block 11/05, which includes Penglai 19-3, with 49% interest. Its partner CNOOC (China National Offshore Oil Corp.) holds 51% participating interest in the block.

By: Audrey Leon,
aleon@oilonline.com