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The
leak was discovered Friday at a drill site in ConocoPhillips'
Alpine oil field, the company confirmed late Tuesday.
The gas was still leaking on Tuesday, said Rosemary Ahtuangaruak,
mayor of Nuiqsut, an Inupiat village about seven miles south of
the oil field. As of now, it is unclear if there is an effect on
the village of about 490 people, she said.
ConocoPhillips evacuated non-essential workers at the drill site
and at the Alpine Central Facility, the company said in a
statement.
"There are no reports of injury or environmental impact to the
tundra or wildlife," the company said, adding that Conoco is
monitoring air quality at the pad where the leak took place.
The Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, a state
regulatory agency, is monitoring the leak and ConocoPhillips'
response, an official said.
"Based on its investigation to date, the Commission is unaware
of any threats to public safety," Jeremy Price, chairman of the
commission, said in a statement, adding that due to the open
investigation the commission could not comment further.
ConocoPhillips did not respond to queries as of Tuesday
afternoon.
In Nuiqsut, residents are uneasy despite the official
assurances, Ahtuangaruak said. "We have community members that
have reported smelling gas since Friday," she said.
Since Nuiqsut is edged by oil development, there are longtime
concerns about chronic air pollution from the operations,
Ahtuangaruak said. Over the years, there have been "gains and
losses" in local efforts to better control air pollution for
residents, many of whom suffer from respiratory problems due to
poor air quality, she said.
(Reporting by Yereth Rosen in Anchorage, Alaska; Editing by
Christopher Cushing)
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