Experts set to board leaking Elgin gas platform

A plan is in place to send experts to the North Sea offshore gas platform that has been leaking since late March in the hope that they will be able to halt the flow of gas.

The Elgin PUQ platform, located off the coast of Aberdeen, could be boarded by a team of specialists as early as this afternoon (April 4th), the Press Association reports.

All of the platform's 238 workers were evacuated after emergency procedures were implemented following discovery of the leak and it is estimated around 200,000 cubic metres of gas is being released into the sea every day.

Oil giant Total, which operates the platform, has said it is "actively preparing" a plan to bring the leak under control, after the flare on the platform extinguished itself on March 31st.

"We are hoping to send a team out by helicopter on Wednesday afternoon or Thursday morning, but it depends on the weather," a spokesman said.

Total has been working alongside the Health and Safety Executive on putting in place an operation to stem the leak and intends to use either a floating support vessel to pump mud into the well, or to drill a relief well.