An operation to stem a gas leak at a North Sea platform has begun.

Gas has been leaking from Total’s Elgin platform, located 150 miles off the coast of Aberdeen, since March.

The French oil giant said the operation began at 9.20am on Tuesday.

The operation involves pumping heavy mud into a well from a support vessel via a temporary pipeline.

A Total spokesman said: “Total has today started the planned well intervention operation to stop the leak from the G4 well on the Elgin complex.

“The well intervention operation got under way at 9.20am this morning with the pumping of heavy mud into the well from the main support vessel, the West Phoenix semi-submersible drilling rig, via a temporary pipeline connected to the G4 wellhead.

“Depending on the precise conditions inside the well, the operation itself and the subsequent observation period will last a few days before it is possible to confirm whether the operation has been fully effective.”

All 238 staff were evacuated from the Elgin platform when gas started spewing from the installation on March 25.

Last week, Total’s chief executive Christophe de Margerie told shareholders that the leak would cost the firm £186m-£248m in lost production.

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