SAO PAULO (Reuters) – A Brazilian Prosecutor plans to say this week that American oil company Chevron has no way to stop a spill of crude in a site sea inside caused by an accident in November.
The Prosecutor Eduardo Santos Oliveira told Reuters in a telephone interview on Monday that the accident caused a crack in the deposit Frade, northeast of Rio de Janeiro.
“There is no way to stop the spill until the reserve is exhausted,” said Santos de Oliveira, and added that the November accident broke the “seal” of the deposit.
“Broke the seal and the oil is going to filter until that runs out,” he added.
Accusations come from reports of police and prosecutors used to bring criminal charges against Chevron, operator Transocean drilling platforms and 17 of its executives and employees.
Oliveira santos also said that the company was “unduly” drilling to reach the fields subsal.
A representative of Chevron in San Ramon, California, said that the operation never sought fields subsal and the company stopped the leak of November in four days.
“At the scene of the accident, Chevron was drilling an appraisal well above the layer subsal and never had intended to arrive at the subsal”, Kurt Glaubitz said in an e-mail to Reuters.
“Chevron responded responsibly to the incident in the Frade field and has managed in a transparent manner with all Brazilian authorities.” “The company continues making important progress to contain any residual flow,” added.
Brazilian authorities ordered on Saturday the head of Chevron, Brazil, George Buck, and other 16 business executives who handed over their passports and remain in the country.
On Wednesday could be criminal charges, said a spokesman for the Prosecutor. A Brazilian judge will then determine if it should continue with formal charges.
(Report of Jeb Blount; written by Brad Haynes)
