Work ships use an oil-absorbing cable to clean up the oil spill near Platform C at Penglai 19-3 oil field in Bohai Bay, July 12, 2011. Oil continues to spill from Platform C and five cleaning ships have been sent to clean the oil. Spills in the oilfield were first detected on June 4 but neither ConocoPhillips - the oilfield’s operator - nor the China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) - the stake holder of this oilfield - have offered a detailed explanation of what happened. As of July 4, the oil spill had polluted an area of more than 840 square kilometers in Bohai Bay. [Photo/Xinhua] |