The Bohai Bay, Penglai oilfield will reopen after a severe oil spill in June 2011, says the SOA.
Penglai clean up in operation Image: CNTV |
China’s State Oceanic Administration has announced that the Penglai 19-3 oilfield in Bohai Bay, the site of a large-scale spill in 2011, will be reopened.
The organisation released a statement claiming that after a series of response efforts taken by ConocoPhillips China, which jointly owns the field with CNOOC, the site is operating under normal conditions and is ready to reopen.
The statement also confirmed that ConocoPhillips China had received the administration’s approval for its overall development program. The SOA further announced that supervision in the water areas near the oilfield and in Bohai Bay will be increased.
In June 2011, the Penglai 19-3 oilfield began leaking fuel, although platform operators failed to the report the accident. By July, the spill had affected around 4,250 square kilometres around Bohai Bay. ConocoPhillips agreed to pay over $220 million in compensation to the local authorities and fisherman.