China’s CNOOC Limited announced yesterday that the Company had received a report from ConocoPhillips China Inc. (“COPC”), the Operator of Penglai 19-3 oilfield, stating that a small amount of oil leaked to the sea when the safety device of a hose coupling automatically parted due to the abnormality during the oil transfer under fluid discharge and depressurization operation late night on June 3, 2012.
The release source was secured immediately when the automatic isolation valves on the coupling closed as designed. Up to 0.6 ton of oil was released to the sea.
It has been reported that, right after the incident, COPC immediately carried out the recovery and clean-up work on the oil sheen of the sea surface. As of 3 o’clock in the afternoon, the monitoring system indicated there was no more oil sheen on the site.
The Company will keep close watch on the incident and will actively assist the Operator with the related work.
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Source: CNOOC, June 5, 2012