Bernama 9 Jul 10;
KUALA LUMPUR, July 9 (Bernama) -- Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas) has taken emergency measures to shut down production pipelines at offshore platforms 240 kilometres off the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia after a thin layer of oil sheen was sighted.
The sheen was sighted near facilities operated by Petronas' production sharing contractors, comprising Petronas Carigali Sdn Bhd, ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Malaysia Inc and Newfield Peninsular Malaysia Inc, Petronas said in a statement Friday.
Efforts are ongoing to identify the source of the sheen, using remotely operated underwater vehicle as well as subsea pipeline tests, said the national oil corporation.
As per standard procedure, emergency response and oil spill teams, including those from the Petroleum Industry of Malaysia Mutual Aid Group and East Asia Response Ltd, were mobilised to the area.
All relevant authorities, including the Department of Environment, were informed, Petronas said.
The contractors have cleaned up the majority of the sheen and are now monitoring the situation via aerial and marine surveillance, it added.
-- BERNAMA
