Statoil responding to onshore gas leak

STAVANGER, Norway, Jan. 8 (UPI) -- Norwegian energy company Statoil said it was burning off some of the gas while it depressurizes an onshore processing center following a gas leak.

All personnel were accounted for and brought to safety following a leak at the Karsto processing facility in the west of the country. The company said there was a skeleton crew of about 25 people remaining on site to oversee the response.

The leak occurred late Thursday local time. By Friday, Statoil said pressure at the facility was starting to drop as it worked to shut off the gas.

"There may be visible flames [controlled burn-off of gas] from the three process flares at the facility while this continues," the company said in a statement.

Statoil is a main supplier to the European natural gas market, noting it expects world total demand for natural gas to increase by about 30 percent globally during the next two decades

The Karsto processing plant treats natural gas and an ultra-light form of oil called condensate from offshore installations on the Norwegian continental shelf.

The company gave no indication as to the amount of gas leaked to the surrounding area. Statoil said the surrounding communities were notified of the incident, but gave no indication evacuation orders were given.

The cause of the incident has yet to be determined.