Major incident declared after oil leak from large onshore field

A major incident has been declared in Dorset due to a leak from a large onshore oil field.

Philip Broadhead, leader of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council confirmed on Sunday that the spill had occurred on the Wytch Farm oil field, in the Purbecks.

The field has been operating since 1979, and is one of the largest fields in Europe.

Oil has escaped into the water at Poole Harbour and surrounding areas, and Dorset Police has advised people not to swim in the harbour until further notice.

Wytch Farm, taken over by Perenco in 2011, was previously operated by BP.

According to Perenco’s website, the field currently produces approximately 14,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boepd).

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