EDINBURGH, Scotland, Aug. 15 (UPI) -- Royal Dutch Shell is keeping information about an oil leak in the North Sea "very close to their chest," Scottish environmentalists claim.
As much as 120 barrels of oil were reportedly leaked last Wednesday into the North Sea about 112 miles east of Aberdeen. Royal Dutch Shell issued a release about the leak Friday.
Richard Dixon, director of Scotland's branch of the World Wide Fund for Nature, told The Press and Journal newspaper in Aberdeen, Scotland, that it was upsetting Shell waited so long to publish a statement about the spill.
"The leak has now been going on for a number of days but Shell has only put out a statement once they have it all under control," he said. "Shell is keeping things very close to their chest."
Shell reported the sheen from the spill measures about 19 miles by 3 miles and was moving west. The company suggested it wouldn't reach shore.
Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond reportedly said he was content with Shell's response. Shell in its latest statement said "leakage of oil has been considerably reduced."
The Scottish news agency reported that oil was still escaping the pipeline from the Gannet oil platform as of Sunday.
