Brazil bans Chevron following spill

The Brazilian government has issued oil industry giant Chevron with a temporary ban on drilling following a spill.

Chevron will not be permitted to continue with oil exploration efforts until it explains the cause of the spill in deep water off the coast of Rio de Janeiro.

Although less than 3,000 barrels of oil were thought to have entered the sea and Chevron's efforts with the cleanup were considered to be successful, Brazil has said further drilling would throw up the same problems so reasons for the leak would need clarifying before further work was permitted.

"We made the decision based on analyses and our technical observations, which showed negligence when the company gathered basic data in preparation for drilling and also during the process of abandoning the area, as well as a lack of attention to the industry's best practices," the Financial Times reported ANP, Brazil's oil and gas regulator, as saying.

Efforts to plug the leak were successful but Brazil remains concerned about what it perceives to be Chevron's efforts to cover it up.

Posted by Lauren Steadman