Prudhoe Bay Oil Spill - Subsequent Spill

Subsequent Spill

On November 9, 2009, a spill occurred from an 18-inch three-phase common line carrying a mixture of crude oil, produced water, and natural gas at BP's Lisburne field, part of the greater Prudhoe Bay area. BP's preliminary estimate for the total volume of oily material released was 45,828 gallons (1,091 barrels); there were 13,500 gallons (321 barrels) of crude. The spill occurred because the pipe froze. Although sensors provided alarms of cold temperatures, BP employees testified that operators didn't use the cold alarms as a measure of flow, but rather as a measurement of the mixture of oil, gas, and water. In November 2010 BP's federal probation officer filed suit to revoke BP's probation stemming from the guilty plea for the 2006 spill, which could have led to further penalties for the 2006 spill, on the grounds that the 2009 Lisburne spill showed that BP was still negligent. BP challenged the revocation and the probation was lifted as planned in December 2011.