Oil leak has minimal impact on BPs Alaska output  

(MENAFN - Saudi Press Agency)  A leak from a pipeline near Alaska"s giant Prudhoe Bay oil field had only a minor impact on North Slope oil production, an effect that was rapidly being erased, according to BP Plc, operator of the field, on Monday.

"We had minimal production impact yesterday in association with this event and it"s being restored today," said Steve Rinehart, spokesman for BP Exploration (Alaska) Inc.

The spill, from a line at the Lisburne field, was reported on Sunday by BP and by the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation. The amount of crude spilled and the cause of the leak are under investigation, Reuters reported.

Lisburne produces about 35,000 barrels per day, Rinehart said. It is part of what is known as the Greater Prudhoe Bay area, which normally produces more than 400,000 bpd.
The 18-inch (45-cm) Lisburne line carries a mixture of crude oil, water and natural gas, according to the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation.

Leaked material has covered about 8,400 square feet (780 square metres) of snow-covered tundra, the department said. A small amount of an oil-water mixture continued to drip from the leak late Monday, but the area affected has not expanded, Rinehart said.