By Meghan Evans, Meteorologist
Mar 27, 2012; 3:04 PM ET
A natural gas leak was discovered in the North Sea on Sunday, and much like the Deepwater Horizon oil spill that occurred two years ago in the Gulf of Mexico, it may take months to solve.The leak occurred at the Elgin Platform of the French oil company, Total, located 150 miles east of Aberdeen, Scotland.
Since the leak was discovered, hundreds of people have been evacuated at two other rigs in the North Sea, including Shearwater, which is located 4 miles away from the leak.
"All necessary measures are being taken to respond appropriately to the situation and to minimize its impact. Investigations are ongoing to analyze the causes and to determine the re-mediation of the gas leak. Total is actively monitoring the situation with standby vessels in the area," Total said in a press release on March 27, 2012.
Photo of the North Sea from Photos.com.
A component of the natural gas is a toxic and flammable substance.
"Hydrogen sulfide is a common contaminate in natural gas. It reacts with oxygen in the air, so it breaks down chemically in the atmosphere. However, in close proximity, it could be deadly," according to AccuWeather.com Expert Meteorologist Jim Andrews.
The Total press release reported that besides the cloud of natural gas dispersing through the air, there is a sheen over the water, likely related to drilling muds or a light condensate from the gas.
Winds Will Strengthen This Week, Dispersing Gas Faster
Currently, winds across the gas leak area are westerly and light by North Sea standards.
An area of high pressure over the U.K. now will shift west of Ireland over the coming days, allowing winds to shift to a more northwesterly direction.
On Wednesday, winds of 10-20 mph will flow out of the northwest across the affected region. The winds will strengthen to 20-40 mph on Thursday, howling out of the northwest.
"Winds will be even stronger--gale force-- on Friday and Saturday," Andrews said. The strong winds will continue to blow from the northwest.
"It doesn't look like there is any meaningful rain until at least Sunday," added Andrews.
It May Be Months Until the Leak is Solved
The struggle to solve the natural gas leak could take months similar to the Gulf of Mexico oil disaster in 2010.
"This leak has shades of the Gulf disaster, insofar as we are talking about a failure that is deep below the sea, so solving the problem is very difficult," Andrews explained. "The difference is that the natural gas does not have the pollution factor of the Gulf oil spill."
Check back with AccuWeather.com for updates on the weather conditions that will impact the dispersal of the natural gas.
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