By an OGJ Online Correspondent
RIO DE JANEIRO, May 18 -- Petroleo Brasileiro SA (Petrobras) halted production from 13 oil platforms in Campos basin while it investigates the source of an oil slick, estimated at 98,000 l. of crude.
The slick is 90 km off Rio de Janeiro state. The halted production amounts to 135,000 b/d of crude, 10% of Petrobras' daily oil output, and 830,000 cu m/day of gas.
Campos is Brazil's most prolific oil province, responsible for around 80% of Brazil's 1.3 million b/d of crude production.
The thin layer of crude oil on the ocean's surface appeared between Campos basin's northern region platforms on Thursday.
Petrobras executives siad they were recovering the oil and collecting samples for identification. State and federal environmental agencies were notified.
