Another BP Oil Spill, Business as Usual
When you thought the image of BP might have been getting better in the US since things were actually starting to look up at the Gulf of Mexico, BP just had to go and screw things up for itself royally. This isn’t the same magnitude of spill that happened a little over a year ago, but still, it doesn’t help the company’s credibility. From Reuters:
BP said on Monday that a pipeline at its 30,000 barrel per day Lisburne field, which is currently closed for maintenance, ruptured during testing and spilled a mixture of methanol and oily water onto the tundra.
The London-based company has a long history of oil spills at its Alaskan pipelines - accidents which have hurt its public image in the U.S., where around 40 percent of its assets are based.
The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation said the spill occurred on Saturday and amounted to 2,100 to 4,200 gallons.
A BP spokesman said the cleanup was under way and the company would determine the cause “in due course.”
Lisburne, which is managed as part of the Greater Prudhoe Bay Unit, has produced no oil since June 18, according to Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission records, suggesting maintenance work requiring a prolonged shutdown.