Thursday, April 5, 2012

Purple haze all around North Sea Elgin gas leak

Caroline Morley, online picture researcher

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(Image: Greenpeace/AFP/Getty Images)

Gas first started leaking from the Elgin drilling platform on 25?March and the platform's flare extinguished itself on 30?March.

This infrared image, taken by environmental pressure group Greenpeace yesterday, shows the gas cloud emitted from the platform, which is silhouetted on the horizon on the right. Light tones show heat and dark mean cold. The deep pink patches are natural cloud but the purple haze surrounding them is a gas cloud of mainly methane.

Greenpeace has chartered a ship to independently investigate the extent of the pollution from the rig. It has been performing tests on the air and seawater from outside the 3.7-kilometre security distance set by coastguards based in Aberdeen, UK.

Meanwhile, the owner of Elgin, French energy company Total, says it is trying to regain control of the leaking well. Today, it sent a helicopter from Aberdeen, hoping to land on the platform if it is safe. The specialist team on board was charged with assessing the situation on the platform.

Total has also mobilised two further rigs to drill a relief well and a back-up relief well.

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