Shell battling oil leak off Scottish Coast

Shell said it has a remote-controlled vehicle searching for the leak in the North Sea, off the Scottish Coast. [Reuters]

Royal Dutch Shell PLC says it is trying to stop oil leaking from a flow line at one of its drilling platforms in the North Sea off the coast of Scotland.

Spokesman David Williams confirmed Friday the leak was on-going and referred further questions to a company statement.

Shell said it cannot specify how much oil may have escaped, but it knows which line had the leak and the flow has been stemmed as the underwater well has been shut in and the line at the Gannet Alpha platform is being de-pressurised.

The global oil and gas company which is headquartered in the Netherlands, said it has a remote-controlled vehicle searching for the leak.

Meanwhile, a plane is monitoring the surface, and a vessel with cleanup equipment is at the spot. Gannet is located 180 km east of Aberdeen, Scotland.