BP has estimated that about 95tonnes of oil spilled from its Clair platform west of Shetland as a result of a “technical issue”.
The company earlier said it was preparing a number of responses for dealing with the oil, but that letting it disperse naturally at sea appeared to be the best option.
BP said in a statement this afternoon: “The most likely volume of oil to sea has been calculated from platform data as around 95tonnes.
“Both direct observation from surveillance flights and oil spill modelling continue to show the oil moving in a northerly direction away from land.
“The most recent surveillance flight already indicates significant dispersal of the oil at the surface.”
The platform, 46 miles west of Shetland, was shut down and will stay offline until an investigation has been carried out.
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