Exxon Mobil has ceased production at three offshore platforms following the shutdown of a pipeline that spilled up to 101,000gal of crude on the Santa Barbara coast.
The company was forced to halt operations in May at the Hondo, Harmony and Heritage platforms as it failed to deliver oil to refineries.
Exxon Mobil spokesman Richard Keil told AP that the company suspended operations as Santa Barbara County rejected its emergency application to supply oil to refineries.
According to Keil, the three platforms feed the Santa Ynez processing plant.
Oil Price Information Service global head of energy Tom Kloza said that the closure may not affect oil prices, but will harm the company’s bottom line even though production from the platforms is less.
Following the shutdown of Plains All American Pipeline’s pipe by a spill, the company cut production from the rigs by two-thirds.
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By GlobalDataSpilling crude along the California coast, the 24in oil pipeline took the Santa Barbara County pipeline out of service.
The spill is believed to have soiled a stretch of coastline, spread tar balls and killed nearly 200 birds and more than 100 marine animals.
The 2ft-wide pipe that carried oil to refineries from an Exxon Mobil facility in Las Flores Canyon was found to be severely corroded before it ruptured.
Prior to ceasing production, daily production from the rigs had been reduced from 30,000 barrels to 10,000 barrels per day.