BP shuts down more Alaskan oil wells
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TESS VIGELAND: The British oil giant BP appears to have sprung a leak in more ways than one. The company is shutting down even more wells in Alaska after whistleblowers contacted the Financial Times. From London, Stephen Beard reports.
STEPHEN BEARD: BP says it has it has closed a total of 57 oil wells after workers at its Prudhoe Bay field complained to the Financial Times about leaking insulating fluids.
The company says none of the leaks have reached the Arctic tundra and the closures are merely precautionary. But the latest revelations are an undoubted blow to BP.
Carola Hoyos of the Financial Times:
CAROLA HOYOS: The US is the most important operation for BP. It’s a huge undertaking and they’ve had really serious problems in several areas. Alaska, they’ve had a massive, fatal refinery fire in Texas City.
But the Alaskan operations are causing the most embarrassment. The company is now under investigation by a grand jury over the spill of some 267,00 gallons of oil in Prudhoe Bay earlier this year.
In London, this is Stephen Beard for Marketplace.
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