Elgin Leak Coming From G4 Wellhead

Total has confirmed the source of a gas leak on the Scottish offshore Elgin field is the G4 wellhead, following almost two weeks of leakage at the site.

A reconnaissance team flown to the field yesterday to examine the cause of and next steps of the leak returned safely yesterday, after successfully examining the leak and the surrounding waters. The team included eight personnel, including Total employees and well leakage specialists from Wild Well Control, a Texan company with expertise in stemming faulty wells.

The personnel from Wild Well Control are now debriefing Total to allow the French company to make detailed plans to repair the well and stop the leak.

"We achieved our goals," the Wild Well Control team said after its return from the field. "Everything went as we would have hoped and the planned well intervention is achievable. There is certainly no showstopper to launch the well control operation."

Total said today that the initial safety situation of the platform and leak remained unchanged since the leak began. The inspection yesterday also showed no signs of structural change to the platform, rig, wellhead, and surrounding areas, since the initial evacuation. No gas leakage was found on the Elgin PUQ platform itself and is isolated to a single wellhead.

Total says the inspection confirmed the source of the leak which is confirmed to be coming from the G4 wellhead at the WHP deck level. There are no signs of an underwater gas leak following an undersea inspection using the a Remote Operated Vehicle (ROV).

The company says that observation shows that leak levels at the platform are also decreasing, following observation in the past few days from a nearby vessel and temperature measurements at the site.

Total continues to proceed with plans for a relief well and a backup relief well and says that it will update with a detailed plan of action in the days to come.