• Wednesday, 16 May, 2012

Shell 'may face prosecution' on UK spill

Pondering prosecution: File on Gannet Alpha leak will be sent to prosecutors for possible legal action, UK secretary confirms

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By Bill Lehane and news wires

 15 September 2011 10:04 GMT

Royal Dutch Shell may face prosecution over last month’s ten-day leak in the North Sea that was the UK’s worst oil spill in a decade, according to a report.

UK Energy and Climate Change Secretary Chris Huhne has confirmed the results of his department’s investigation into the Gannet Alpha spill would be sent on to Scotland’s public prosecutor.

"My department and the Health and Safety Executive have commenced investigations into the cause of the incident", said Huhne, adding it would likely "take some months."

"A full report will be sent to the procurator fiscal to consider whether a prosecution is appropriate," the secretary added.

Previously, his department had said the findings of the investigation would only be sent to the procurator fiscal "if appropriate."

About 218 metric tons of oil, equivalent to 1,300 barrels, spilled into the North Sea from a leaking undersea pipeline at the platform between 10 August and 19 August.

Huhne said his department was initially informed on 10 August of a surface oil sheen and told a leak had occurred. However, he said he was then told by Shell the following day that the leak had been stemmed.

On 12 August, aerial surveillance in the late afternoon showed the leak was continuing "with significant potential for pollution", said Huhne.

Shell only confirmed the leak to journalists later that day, leading to criticism from some environmental groups and Scottish politicians about the Anglo-Dutch supermajor’s slow disclosure of the incident.

The company was not immediately available for comment on the secretary’s remarks, Dow Jones said.

Speaking to Upstream on the sidelines of the Offshore Europe conference in Aberdeen earlier this month, Oil & Gas UK chief executive Malcolm Webb sought to play down the significance of the leak.

"There have been some hysterical words by certain commentators and NGOs talking about shutting down Shell and that this is our Macondo. It is nothing of the sort", Webb said.

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