Preliminary findings show that an issue with the crude oil level measurement system contributed to the discharge of oil from a storage cell on board the Hibernia platform earlier this week.
An estimated 75 barrels of oil—the equivalent of 12,000 litres—was spilled into the ocean.
Production was temporarily shut down on the Hibernia platform as HMDC works to resolve the problem.
Earlier Story
The C-NLOPB says to date, no affected marine life or seabirds have been spotted by government or industry observers in the area of the oil spill some 315 kilometers off St. John’s.
Hibernia officials say 75 barrels of oil—the equivalent of 12,000 litres—was spilled into the ocean on Wednesday from the Hibernia platform. The estimate comes from aerial surveillance.
The surveillance flights were carried out by PAL and included an independent regulatory observer. A second surveillance flight was sent out Thursday afternoon in an attempt to get a better estimate of the size of the oil spill.
The Hibernia Management and Development Company is investigating the cause and will provide more information as it becomes available. Company president Scott Sandlin says they’re disappointed with the discharge and are working diligently to minimize the impact on the environment.