殼牌石油集團（Shell）位於北海的「加內阿爾法」（Gannet Alpha）鑽油台管路系統在10日發生漏油事件。然而英國當局表示，殼牌一直到12日才發表此事件，而至當時已漏油超過200噸、都流入海洋。
殼牌的歐洲探勘及開採活動技術總監Glen Cayley表示：「漏油的總量難以衡量，但目前我們估計約有216噸(相當於1300桶)。」
Glen Cayley表示：「談及海面上的溢油量，每天都在改變，今天(8/15)的估計值約為一噸，大約是六桶油的量。」
Glen Cayley表示：「由北海過去漏油事件的一年漏油量來看，這是一場很嚴重的漏油意外。我們一向重視環境，也對這次漏油事故感到遺憾。我們對此慎重看待，並且立即採取反應。」
「加內阿爾法」鑽油台的工作人員都很平安，且鑽油台也繼續營運。
至8/15時溢油已在關閉漏油源頭後受到控制。Cayley表示：「我們估計，目前漏油的速率一天低於五桶油量。」
溢油在海面上的油汙面積多達500平方公里。殼牌表示外漏的物質是輕原油 (light crude oil) 和一些液壓油 (hydraulic fluid)的混合物。
Cayley表示：「漏油事件後的週末吹起大風大浪，大大地減少了油汙的面積，可以從海面上目前的油汙量明顯看出。我們仍期盼油汙能隨著潮汐作用自然消散，並且不會汙染至海岸。」
英國能源和氣候變遷部門(DECC)的發言人表示：「殼牌告知我們，位於距蘇格蘭阿伯丁以東的加內阿爾法鑽油台管線已受到控制，且漏油以大量減少。他們正努力全面阻止進一步的外漏。」
「DECC的環境督察員會繼續監控漏油情況，他也一直和殼牌公司密切合作，並且自漏油事件獲報以來，和安全衛生執行委員會 (Health and SafetyExecutive)、海事及海岸巡防隊(Maritime and Coastguard Agency)和蘇格蘭海事局 (Marine Scotland)的對口單位合作。」
發言人表示：「雖然和之前墨西哥Macondo海灣的漏油事件比起來，這次程度較輕，但對英國大陸礁界來說，這場漏油事件極為嚴重。但我們預測溢油不會汙染致海岸；事實上，我們預期它們會自然消散。」
蘇格蘭環保幹事Richard Lochhead表示：「如同第一長官所說，我們對任何的漏油事件都極度慎重，我們也會繼續密切監控情況。」
他表示：「當對於漏油的程度和面積證實有所不可避免的困難，殼牌和DECC確認資訊的公開、透明度和定期準則次非常重要的。」
「蘇格蘭政府的主要角色是通知漏油可能對海洋環境造成的任何衝擊。蘇格蘭海事局的直升機近來也參與受油汙影響海域的監察工作。海域內的漁船也已被警告漏油事故。」
一艘名為「格蘭潘王子」的船隻也待命在定點監控海域，這艘船配備了油汙反應設備及分散劑以備不時之需。
英國的環保團體批評殼牌公司的資訊缺少透明化。環保團體蘇格蘭地球之友(Friends of the EarthScotland)的首長 Juliet Swann表示：「我們非常擔憂，因為即使在漏油經偵查的五天後，對於其所造成的環境衝擊、對野生動物的影響、及對蘇格蘭海岸社區和他們賴以為生的海洋環境的威脅，我們的了解仍非常少。」
Swann表示：「告知大眾和利害關係人事殼牌公司的責任，尤其是發生這種危機時。但我擔心，當殼牌公司的公關部門已超載，在我們等待殼牌說明到底發生什麼事，等待越久，我們可能越無從得知真相。」
英國綠色和平組織(Greenpeace)也對殼牌公司關於漏油事件的資訊缺乏表示擔憂。
The oil leak began on Wednesday, on a flow pipeline system that serves the Shell-operated Gannet Alpha platform in the North Sea. But UK authorities say that Shell did not report the leak until Friday and by then more than 200 tonnes of oil had entered the sea.
"It is not easy to quantify the total volume spilled but we estimate so far that it is around 216 tonnes (1,300 barrels)," said Glen Cayley, technical director of Shell's exploration and production activities in Europe.
Speaking from Aberdeen Cayley said, "In terms of the volume on the surface, which changes from day to day, it is estimated today at about one tonne, approximately six barrels."
"This is a significant spill in the context of annual amounts of oil spilled in the North Sea. We care about the environment and we regret that the spill happened. We have taken it very seriously and responded promptly to it," he said.
Personnel on the Gannet Alpha platform are safe and the platform continues to operate.
Today the spill is under control, with the wellhead shut in, said Cayley. "We estimate that the current rate of leaking is less than five barrels a day."
The sheen of oil on the surface is half a square kilometer in size. Shell says the spill is a light crude oil mixed with some hydraulic fluid.
"The high winds and waves over the weekend have led to a substantial reduction in the size of the oil sheen as can be seen from the current levels on the water," Cayley said. "We continue to expect that the oil sheen will disperse naturally due to wave action and that it will not reach the shore."
A spokesman for the UK Department of Energy and Climate Change said, "Shell has informed us that the oil leak at its pipeline at the Gannet Alpha platform east of Aberdeen is under control and has now been greatly reduced. They are working to completely halt any further leakage."
"DECC's environmental inspectors will continue to monitor the situation and have been working closely with the company and counterparts from the Health and Safety Executive, Maritime and Coastguard Agency and Marine Scotland since the spill was reported last week."
The spokesman said, "Although small in comparison to the Macondo, Gulf of Mexico, incident, in the context of the UK Continental Shelf the spill is substantial. But it is not anticipated that oil will reach the shore and indeed it is expected that it will be dispersed naturally."
Scottish Environment Secretary Richard Lochhead said, "We take any oil leak extremely seriously, as the first minister has made clear, and we are continuing to monitor this situation very closely."
"While there are inevitable difficulties verifying the extent and size of the leak, it's vital that Shell and DECC make information available on an open, transparent and regular basis," said Lochhead.
"The Scottish Government's primary role is to advise on the impact any spill might have on the marine environment," he said. "Marine Scotland aircraft are currently involved in surveillance work over the affected area. Fishing vessels in the area have also been made aware of the incident."
A standby vessel, "Grampian Prince," remains on station monitoring the area, with oil spill response equipment and dispersant available if required.
Environmental groups across the UK faulted Shell for its lack of transparency. Juliet Swann, head of campaigns at Friends of the Earth Scotland, said, "We are deeply worried that we still, even five days after the leak was detected, know far too little about the environmental impact of the spill, how it could impact wildlife, and the scale of the threat to Scotland's coastal communities and the marine environment that they rely on for their income."
"It is Shell's responsibility to keep the public and stakeholders informed, especially in a crisis such as this, but I fear the longer we wait to hear about what is really happening from Shell, the more chance there is that we will never actually know the truth as Shell's PR machine goes into overdrive," said Swann.
Greenpeace UK has also expressed concern about the lack of information about the spill coming from Shell.
全文及圖片詳見：ENS報導
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