BP PLC has shut down an offshore oil field in the Arctic Ocean after a small leak was detected in a gas line. The shutdown of the Northstar oil field cut the company’s daily North Slope production by about one-eighth, or 40,000 barrels a day, since 16 February or 17 February, according to BP spokesman Daren Beaudo. Beaudo said he was not sure when the field would resume operations. “In order to fix it, we had to shut down the facility,” Beaudo said. “They’re taking the opportunity to take a look at other upgrades that need to be made.” There was no environmental damage and no safety hazard associated with the leak, Beaudo said. It was found in an 8in pipe containing extraneous gas from the field and likely caused by corrosion, he said. The pinhole-sized leak was discovered during a routine inspection of Northstar’s wells and processing facilities, which sit atop a man-made gravel island 6mi off the northern coast of Alaska. The 27-sq-mi field is located 39ft beneath the ocean surface.
