Chevron suspends production at Thai oil field

PRODUCTION at the Benchamas oil field in the Gulf of Thailand was suspended immediately after an accident last week and remains offline, US oil giant Chevron Corp said in a statement on Monday (Mar 20).

The announcement comes after an accident last week at an oil storage vessel caused seawater to leak into the vessel’s hull, killing one crew member.

“We have recovered the body of our colleague who was fatally injured on Mar 13,” a Chevron spokesperson said in a separate statement, adding that preparations were being made to return the body to the victim’s family.

There has been no impact on the environment from the incident, Chevron said in the statement.

“Our current focus is on responding to the incident, not restarting production,” it said.

The Benchamas field produces about 13,000 barrels per day and approximately 45 million cubic feet per of natural gas, according to Thai government data. REUTERS