GREEN campaigners have voiced concerns about the environmental "threat" posed by drilling for oil after a leak in a pipeline forced the temporary closure of a North Sea oil field.
Production at the Foinaven field, 120 miles west of Shetland, was shut down at 1.30am yesterday after a small leak was discovered.
The leak, caused by a hairline fracture on an infield flowline, was found during a routine inspection and stopped within an hour of being spotted, according to field owners BP.
A company spokesman said: "BP has since carried out comprehensive checks of the area, at the source and on the surface, and can confirm that no oil is visible and that there is no evidence of ongoing pollution.
"Production remains shut down. An investigation into the cause of the incident will be carried out by BP."
The leak, of an oil and water mix, started at some point from January 17 onwards.
BP said the coastguard, police, Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and UK energy department were notified immediately after it was discovered.
WWF Scotland said it was time Scotland gave up its "addiction" to oil.
Director Dr Richard Dixon said today: "We're relieved to hear that a potential oil pollution incident appears to have been avoided west of Shetland. Nevertheless, the discovery of cracks in any oil pipeline is still worrying.
"BP's response to this incident appears in stark contrast to Shell's hapless efforts with its leaking Gannet Alpha oil platform last year.
"This incident once again highlights the daily threat oil drilling poses to Scotland's marine environment.
"If Scotland wants to lead the world on clean energy then the quicker we end our addiction to oil the better."
Last year, more than 200 tonnes of oil spilled into the North Sea from a leak in the flowline to Shell's Gannet Alpha platform, about 112 miles east of Aberdeen. It was the worst oil spill in the region in more than a decade.