Oil Rig Ship Grounded In Alaska 'Not Leaking'

An oil drilling ship that ran aground in a severe Alaska storm is showing no sign of leaking fuel.

Crews aboard two aircraft which flew over the vessel on Tuesday also reported the Kulluk's hull had not been breached.

"There is no sign of a release of any product," said federal on-scene response coordinator Captain Paul Mehler.

The ship is carrying about 143,000 gallons of diesel and about 12,000 gallons of lube oil and hydraulic fluid, he added.

The Royal Dutch Shell drilling rig ran aground on Monday off the small, uninhabited island of Sitkalidak, near the larger Kodiak Island in the Gulf of Alaska.

It had become separated last Thursday from a towing vessel and a tugboat, as it was being taken to Seattle for maintenance.

The Kulluk was battered by 70mph winds and waves of up to 50ft but conditions have since eased.

This should allow marine experts to get onboard and come up with a more complete salvage plan, which could include refloating the stricken ship.

Captain Mehler said there was a team of about 500 people working on a response to the situation, "with many more coming".

A Shell official said the drilling rig was built with a double-sided hull of 3in reinforced steel.

It recently underwent a $292m (£179m) improvement programme before being put into service for a short time last summer in the Beaufort Sea off Alaska's north coast.

US Representative Ed Markey - who is the top Democrat on the House Natural Resources Committee - has expressed deep concern about the Kulluk situation.

"Oil companies keep saying they can conquer the Arctic, but the Arctic keeps disagreeing with the oil companies," Mr Markey said.

"Drilling expansion could prove disastrous for this sensitive environment."

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