Bad Weather Halts North Sea Spill Clean Up

Harsh weather on the North Sea is preventing the clean up of approximately 4,000m³ of oil that has leaked from a platform owned by Norwegian company StatoilHydro.

The spill occurred on Wednesday in the Statfjord oil field, 200km southwest of Bergen in Norway, as oil was being transferred from storage containers on the platform to a tanker.

StatoilHydro's spokesman Kai Nielsen says ships sent to scoop up the oil were held back by strong winds and high waves.

However, Statoil says the strong weather is also helping to break up the oil and keep it away from the Norwegian coast.

Production and exports from the Statfjord oil field will continue as normal, according to the company.

By Tim McAtackney