Dec 04 , 2009  by  Focus Energy Media
 

In the midst of cleaning up one major oil spill on the North Slope, BP has reported another spill involving a different pipeline.

Officials estimated Wednesday's spill at more than 7,000 gallons of what's known as produced water, the water pumped with oil from wells and then separated from crude at processing centers. BP discovered the spill at about 1:40 p.m. Wednesday and reported it to the state Department of Environmental Conservation about an hour later.

A cause has not been determined.

The spill is the second since Sunday involving pipelines managed by BP Exploration (Alaska) Inc. The Sunday oil spill is still being cleaned up as well. Officials say they have not pinpointed a cause or estimated the size of that spill.

The new spill was from a 6-inch line carrying produced water inside a manifold building where different pipes come together, according to the DEC.

BP estimated that about 5,040 gallons remained inside the building, while 2,100 spilled onto the gravel production pad, known as R Pad. The liquid was sucked into a vacuum truck but some of the water froze. It will be removed with a jack hammer or by flushing it with more water. Crews worked all night Wednesday and into Thursday cleaning the residual oil from inside the building, according to the DEC.

An area covering about 3,000 square feet of snow-covered gravel pad was affected.