Chinese Fishermen Compensated for Spill
2012-01-31 00:00:00 - Spill International
ConocoPhillips, USA, and China National Offshore Oil Corporation have agreed to pay 1 billion Chinese yuan, or around USD159 million, to settle compensation claims resulting from oil spills in Bohai Bay, off northeastern China.
The two companies had reached an agreement with China's Ministry of Agriculture related to the June 2011 incidents at the oil field, known as Peng Lai 19-3. The leaks provoked a storm of media protests in China and harsh criticism by the authorities of the Bohai field operator, Conoco. The Chinese government in early September ordered a complete halt in production at the field, which produced an average 56,000 barrels a day in 2010. It is still offline.
Conoco said the compensation money would be used to "settle public and private claims of potentially affected fishermen in relevant Bohai Bay communities.
