By Ben Tavener, Senior Contributing Reporter
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The president of Chevron for Africa and Latin America, Ali Moshiri, said on Thursday that the Frade oil field leak was under control and that the slick some 75 miles (120km) from the Rio coastline has now practically disappeared.
He said the U.S. oil giant is now concentrating on sealing the well at the center of the incident, which would now be abandoned, and that the any oil floating in the ocean amounted to one-tenth of a barrel (about four gallons or 16 liters).
Moshiri – who was in talks with Brazil’s Energy Minister, Edison Lobão – said that the company’s response had been “first-class” and that Chevron’s Brazilian subsidiary has one of the best safety records.
He also said that cause of the spill, which first came to light on November 8th, was as yet unknown and that investigations would continue, denying any issue of control within the company.
On Wednesday, the ANP – Brazil’s National Petroleum Agency – decided to suspend all drilling in the Frade oil field – which is completely operated by Chevron some 230 miles (370km) off the Rio de Janeiro state coastline.
The ANP has also rejected Chevron’s request to drill a new well to reach the pre-salt layer, saying that “pre-salt drilling poses risks of a similar nature to that at the affected well, only larger and deeper”.
Read more (in Portuguese).
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