Equinor to Clean up Onshore Bahamas Spill
Satellite image after the impact of Hurricane Dorian on the South Riding Point oil terminal at Grand Bahama Island. The red outline denotes the plume area of the oil spill, ca. 0.5 sq km, and ca. 1.3 km in length. (Photo: ESA Sentinel-2 satellite)
Equinor will clean up the onshore oil spill discovered this week at its Bahamas storage terminal in the aftermath of hurricane Dorian, the Norwegian energy company said on Sunday.
In preparation for the hurricane, Equinor shut down operations at the South Riding Point terminal on Aug. 31 and none of its staff were at the site during the storm.
"Based on current visual assessments, there are no indications of continued oil leakage from the tanks or of oil spills from the terminal to sea or beaches," Equinor's statement said.
"Further examination is ongoing to assess the full impact of the spill."
The company's website says the terminal on Grand Bahama is a key businesses intended to strengthen the company's market and trading position in the Caribbean region.
"The situation is complex and challenging, with damage to infrastructure hampering progress in relief and response efforts," Equinor said, adding that it has yet to determine the size of the spill. (Reporting by Victoria Klesty Editing by David Goodman)
