LONDON (Reuters) - Britain has granted French oil major Total approval to mount what is known as a "dynamic kill" operation to try to stem a gas leak at its North Sea Elgin platform.
The on-deck procedure involves pumping heavy mud into the compromised G4 well. The Elgin platform was evacuated after gas started leaking on March 25.
"The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has granted Total environmental permits to a undertake a dynamic kill operation to try to stop the gas release from the Elgin well," DECC said on Thursday.
Britain's offshore safety watchdog, the Health and Safety Executive, cleared the procedure.
The West Phoenix drilling rig will be positioned alongside the abandoned Elgin platform to act as the pumping vessel.
"The dynamic kill operation is a major step for Total and offers the quickest way to stop the release from the well. In parallel, work is underway to drill a relief well as an alternative solution. We continue to monitor the situation closely," DECC said.
(Reporting by Oleg Vukmanovic, editing by Jane Baird)
