BP Says Alaska Leak Under Control

BP Plc said workers on Alaska's North Slope had brought under control a company-operated well that spewed oil and gas over the weekend. The leak was discovered on Friday and a team from BP, the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (ADEC), US Environmental Protection Agency and local government was brought in to coordinate efforts. The team halted the well leaks overnight, BP said in a statement, Reuters reported. The volume of the leak was not disclosed. A BP spokesman said details of what caused the loss of control were not available. ADEC said that well pipe had temporarily "jacked up" or risen vertically about 3 feet to 4 feet, causing a pressure gauge to break off. BP has dealt with several spills and leaks in Alaska in the past. In 2006, a corroded pipeline released nearly 5,000 barrels of crude oil, the largest oil spill in the North Slope at the time. Another spill occurred in 2009 that saw just over 1,000 barrels leak.