Story highlights
North Sea platform reported leak seven weeks ago
Workers were able to plug well with heavy mud
Energy giant Total said Wednesday it was able to plug a well that had been leaking gas for seven weeks at a North Sea platform.
Nearly 240 people were evacuated from the Elgin platform and an adjacent drilling rig after the leak was reported March 25, about 150 miles (240 km) east of the Scottish city of Aberdeen.
Workers Tuesday began pumping heavy mud into the Elgin platform well, plugging the leak 12 hours later, according to Total. The well will be monitored to ensure the operation was a complete success.
Total’s statement did not indicate when production will resume.
At first, gas leaked at an estimated rate of 2 kilograms per second, which translates to about 200,000 cubic meters per day. That was progressively reduced to .5 kilograms per second.