The French oil company, Total, says it's (figured out) the source of a major gas leak beneath one of its platforms in the North Sea. NPR's Philip Reeves says it could take months to fix.
Total says the leak is in an old plugged well at a (rock formation) 4,000 meters down. Flammable gas is bubbling up to the surface, forming a large cloud around Total's Elgin platform, 150 miles east of Scotland. There are fears the gas could (explode). Total's evacuated all the platform's 700 workers. It's also sent a couple of (firefighting ships) to stand by outside a two-mile exclusion zone that's been set up to protect shipping. There's speculation the gas might be (ignited) by a flare that’s still burning at the top of the platform, though Total’s been trying to ease these worries, saying the winds pushing the gas in the opposite direction. The main casualty so far is (Total's share price). It's been dented by fears the company could end up with a big repair bill. Philip Reeves.