Oil rig closed because of leak

North Sea oil rig has been closed owing to a leak found on a pipeline from the Cormorant Alpha platform.

Abu Dhabi National Energy Company has said that it will be monitoring hydrocarbon levels in the North Sea following the leak.

It is feared that the hydrocarbons spilt into the sea could harm sea life and the environment.

"The hydrocarbons are contained within the platform leg and none have been released into the environment. Investigations into the exact source of the hydrocarbons are still under way. Measurements within the leg show that the volume released is small," the company said in a statement, however.

At one point, it was feared that the workers on the rig could be in danger.

However, Taqa has confirmed that all non-essential crew members were pulled immediately from the installation.

They were taken by helicopters which landed on the site, about 232 miles off the coast of Scotland.

The other 159 on site workers are all safe, it has been reported.

"We have stopped all non-essential work on the platform to focus all our efforts on addressing this issue," the company said in a statement.

The Cormorant Alpha platform, the part where the leak has been found, processes about 90,000 barrels of crude oil per day.

“The platform and all Brent pipeline infrastructure running through Cormorant Alpha were shut down as a precaution immediately following the discovery of the release," the statement said.

Consequently, the leak could have serious implications if it were to spill out too far.

"Taqa is currently evaluating plans to restore the throughput of an estimated 80,000 bpd in the Brent pipeline, excluding any Cormorant Alpha production. This action would occur after thorough technical assurance has established that it can be undertaken safely and without any increased risk," the statement said.