Offshore staff

HOUSTON -- An oil pipeline offshore peninsular Malaysia has been damaged by an unidentified vessel, according to operator Newfield Exploration.

The pipeline connects the East Belumut platform on license PM 323 to the Tinggi platform, 17 mi (27 km) distance. Production from the field has had to be shut in, but the leak has been isolated.

East Belumut is 160 mi (257 km) offshore in 240 ft (73 m) of water. Newfield says the field was producing around 20,000 b/d of oil prior to shut-in. Emergency response teams are in place at the site.

Newfield estimates that repairs to the pipeline will take six to eight weeks before East Belumut is restored to production.

07/12/2010