A report from Greenpeace claimed that a methane leak from oil and gas drilling has been poisoning the North Sea for decades and heating the climate for more than 30 years and says that the oil and gas industry is responsible for this significant leak in the North Sea.

Mobil North Sea, now known as Exxon Mobil, caused a methane leak at one of its drilling sites. Methane is still spewing from the hole into the sea even to this day.

An Oil Search Gone Bad

On behalf of the Mobil North Sea (ExxonMobil), Stena Drilling Company was tasked to look for oil in the sea. The company "accidentally tapped a gas in the pocket." The search then caused an explosion leaving several craters in the seabed.

A team of international scientists examined the site five years ago. The leak has been releasing approximately 90 liters of methane per second into the sea for the past 30 years.

Sandra Schöttner, a marine biologist for Greenpeace, said that then drilling platform could not be found anymore, but "methane has been gushing out of the seabed for decades."

She further added that "nobody wanted to take responsibility, it's a scandal."

Thousands of Boreholes and Methane Leaks

There are at least 15,000 boreholes in the North Sea, which has caused to leak of 90 liters of methane per second for decades.

In 2000, ExxonMobile turned over the methane ducts to the UK government. The state determined that no further monitoring is necessary as the reservoir would drain eventually.

However, disturbing video footage from Greenpeace shows that the holes are still releasing methane even to this day. Greenpeace documented two gas-emitting craters in the North Sea in 200 km east of Peterhead.

Greenpeace has been monitoring the leak from its Esperanza vessel using a remote-controlled underwater robot. The group is traveling around the North Sea for a "documentation and peaceful protest tour." The tour aims to showcase the effect of the oil and gas industry on the region.

The environmentalist group filmed two of the gas emitting craters were measuring 50 meters and 15 meters in diameter. Holes like this are characteristic marks of the oil and gas industry's drilling.

Greenpeace asserts that the leak is from the oil and gas industry.

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UK Government: "No significant risk to health and safety."

The Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) defended its position. The department said they did a "comprehensive marine survey" in 2011, which showed that the methane dissolved in the water. Only a fraction of methane was being released into the atmosphere.

The department also said that the release was monitored for eight years. Their survey indicated a decline in methane release over the years. The emission also does not pose a threat to health and the environment.

The department officials also said that "the UK has a robust regulatory regime and our environmental standards for offshore oil and gas are among the highest in the world."

Meanwhile, Oil and Gas UK said that they are doing strategies to "address methane emissions," and announce that they are glad that Greenpeace will help them on the said endeavor.

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