Read Up: Great Articles On North Sea Gas Leak
An expensive and excessive disaster, the North Sea Gas Leak was impressively voluminous in that it leaked about 7 million cu. ft. of methane gas and $2.5 million every day for nearly two months. Although its owner, Total Energy, chided away comparisons to BP's oil spill, the damage brought to its environment still remains unknown.
Get the basics on this disaster by reading hand-selected journalism below.
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"Elgin Rig Leak Could 'Take Months' To Plug"
By Rob Edwards, Herald Scotland
Early estimates concluded that the rig's position and the weather at the time could complicated efforts to stop the leak. In this early report, details of the "risky operation" are outlined and environmental impacts are estimated.
"Oil Companies Going Unpunished For Thousands Of North Sea Spills"
By Leo Hickman, The Guardian
Out of the more than 4,000 oil spills that occurred in the North Sea since 200, only seven incidents caused a fine to be issued. This article explores the complacent nature of energy drilling in the region where they measure pollution by the ton rather than its eventual effects.
"North Sea Gas Leak Has Environmental Activists Concerned"
By Ben McConville, Associated Press
Although Total's leak did not produce some of the consequences outlined in this article, a overview of what could have been is presented as well as remarks from leading environmentalists on the true cost of using non-renewable energy sources.
"North Sea Gas Leak One Of Thousands Worldwide"
By Extreme Energy Action Network
Ever disaster needs context - and this post/infographic lays out the high percentages of leaking wells used for natural gas extraction. Nearly one-fifth of all operating wells were shut down at some point in 2011 due to integrity issues.
"Total's Elgin Platform Gas Leak Suffers Unfavorable Comparisons To BP"
By Associated Press
In the early days of the leak, many began to compare the huge levels of natural gas spillage to the millions spilled by BP. This article explores how Total tried to avoid the likening and how similar the incidents really were.
