BP to Shut Down 12 North Slope Wells

[Robbien]

Britain's BP PLC is closing 12 oil wells on Alaska's North Slope as a precaution after whistleblowers alleged more than 50 were leaking.

. . .

The shutdowns come a month after BP confirmed it had received a subpoena from a U.S. grand jury investigating a massive oil leak in Alaska last year.

BP blamed the March 2005 incident at Prudhoe Bay, the largest-ever spill in Alaska's North Slope region, on a small hole caused by corrosion in a pipeline. Up to 267,000 gallons were believed to have spilled onto the frozen ground about 250 miles above the Arctic Circle.

The 12 well shutdowns affect about 8,000 barrels a day out of the North Slope's total daily production of about 800,000 barrels, Beaudo said.

http://www.niagara-gazette.com/feeds/apcontent/apstories/apstorysection/D8IUS9SG0.xml.txt/resources_apstoryview

[WillParkinson]

1. No problems!

We can go into ANWR and leave nothing but footprints.

Oily, greasy, dead animal laden footprints.

[xchrom]

2. there's the promise that there won't be any problems --

and then there's the reality.

[AndyA]

3. Gosh this kind of disputes BP's television ad campaign doesn't it?

You know the one: they tell us how BP is searching for solutions to today's energy problems, and what a wonderful company they are...with soothing music, reassuring words, etc.

And here I thought it was illegal to run false advertising. BP should pull its ads and spend the money instead cleaning up the mess it's made, and maintain their pipelines.

BP = Greedy corporate pigs.

[acmavm]

4. Closed them as a precaution? That's what they call it now?

[MoseyWalker]

5. how thoughtful

to close 12 out of 50.

[yellowcanine]

6. Just a "small hole" in a pipeline? Oh well then. For a moment, I was

worried.
BP blamed the March 2005 incident at Prudhoe Bay, the largest-ever spill in Alaska's North Slope region, on a small hole caused by corrosion in a pipeline. Up to 267,000 gallons were believed to have spilled onto the frozen ground about 250 miles above the Arctic Circle.

What a bunch of morans. It is the "small holes" one worries about. A large break will be detected and the pipeline shut down before much spills out. They are supposed to be monitoring corrosion. And we are supposed to trust the oil companies in ANWR?