BP reports oil, water, gas spill at Prudhoe Bay

February 19, 2009

Anchorage Daily News
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Excerpts:

The spill came from a flow line — a pipeline that carries the oil, gas and water from wells to a plant where they're separated. The pipeline has been shut in and is being emptied, the DEC said.

"The spill occurred on a gravel pad and under a snow bank. The snow should enhance the containment of the spilled products," the agency said. Eleven wells were shut down temporarily Wednesday because of the incident, DEC said.

Prudhoe Bay, the state's biggest oil field, has had a series of spills in recent years that have led to heightened oversight by state and federal regulators of operations there.