Large chunks of soil collapse as a result of permafrost thaw and erosion, as seen in this image taken along the Sagavanirktok River on the North Slope of Alaska near Deadhorse. (National Snow and Ice Data Center/CIRES)A damaged BP well on Alaska’s North Slope is no longer spraying crude oil, although workers still haven’t been able to stop the uncontrolled venting of natural gas from the well. “There have been no injuries and no reports of harm to wildlife,” BP spokesman Brett Clanton said Saturday. Because there is no pipeline for natural gas from Prudhoe Bay, companies pump oil and inject gas back into the wells. The Native American community of Nuiqsut, about 50 miles west of the well, has been notified of the incident.

Source: Washington Post April 17, 2017 03:00 UTC