Triangle Energy Ltd., Perth, has reported an oil leak from its Cliff Head Alfa production platform in Cliff Head field about 14 km offshore in the North Perth basin of Western Australia and 100 km south of the coastal town of Geraldton.
Triangle said a small crack had developed in the flow meter of one of the wells. The platform superintendent observed the loss of produced fluid during an inspection on the platform. The affected well was immediately shut in.
The company’s oil pollution emergency plan was put into action and contracts with the Australian Marine Oil Spill Centre have been activated in support of ongoing management of the incident.
Under the National Plan for Maritime Environmental Emergencies the incident has been classified as a Level 1, which means it is a low-level spill in the range of 0-10,000 l. Triangle said current estimates reflect the lower end of this range.
Production from addition wells on the platform has been shut down while an engineering investigation took place.
Although production has been interrupted, the company said there is no risk to staff or the environment.
Triangle said the environmental impact would be negligible due to containment on the platform itself and the rough sea conditions at the time which will dissipate the fluid naturally.
