216 tons of oil leaked into the North Sea

Oil company Shell today (August 16) has confirmed 1,300 barrels of oil, equivalent to 216 tons of oil that leaked into the North Sea (England), resulting in a high risk of marine pollution.

The leak was discovered from a pipeline of Ganner Alpha rig located 180 km off Aberdeen . According to the UK Department of Energy and Climate Change, this is the biggest oil leak ever.

Rig Gannet Alpha off Aberdeen.

"Because of the complex structure of the rig, we handle this leak easily," said European Regional Oil Technical Manager Shell . We maneuvered divers to accurately determine the leak point below the rig pipe to cover it up in time. '

He also said the leak spread quickly. In the afternoon of August 15, the leaked area was discovered only within a radius of 500m but today the oil has spread to 37km.

Although the leak is not as big as the Gulf of Mexico oil spill in 2010, according to the assessment of the Energy and Climate Change Agency under the British Government, if it does not stop in time, the risk of environmental pollution is very high. It is estimated that there will be more than a few hundred tons of oil spilled into the sea.