The State Oceanic Administration (SOA) has urged investigators to speed up the handling of the oil leak at an offshore oilfield in Bohai Bay that is being operated by a subsidiary of U.S.-based energy company.
Liu Cigui, head of the SOA, made the remarks during an inspection tour Sunday to the B and C platforms of the Penglai 19-3 oilfield where the leak was first spotted early last month, according to an SOA statement issued Monday.
Liu stressed that quick efforts are needed to locate the exact sites of oil leaks and stop them completely.
Demanding the acceleration of the investigation, Liu asked the ConocoPhillips China (COPC), which operates the oilfield under an arrangement with major Chinese offshore oil producer CNOOC, to offer every cooperation.
In addition, Liu said all offshore oil survey and developing firms in China should sweep their oilfields for any possible leak risks, aiming to prevent similar occurrences.
According to the SOA statement, investigators on Sunday found that some oil is still leaking from platform C.
Also, information collected by remote sensing satellites on Sunday found oil belts appeared again near B and C platforms, where the leaks had reportedly been brought under control on June 19 and 21, respectively.
There are still signs indicating that oil leaks may happen again around platform B, said the SOA statement, quoting investigation results.
The statement said China’s investigation authorities have urged COPC to discover the actual causes for the oil leaks soon, conduct thorough checks for potential leaks and take every measure to stifle them.
Xinhua