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Fire at Kossa Oil Field Killed Two and Closed Down 60000 bpd Production in Congo

05-12-2007

A fire at an oil field operated by Total SA killed two people and injured two others, the French petroleum giant said. 

The fire halted production causing a loss of 60,000 barrels a day, company officials said in a statement disseminated on state-run radio.

The cause of the blaze at the Kossa oil field, around 350 miles from Brazzaville, was unknown. Flames engulfed the oil field before dawn, and the fire was still burning early Friday. Company officials said their investigation so far had turned up a suspicious boat, its hull and body completely burned.

"The company has announced the halt of production until further notice. Our refinery was not touched, but for the moment the blaze continues," the statement said.

Light, sweet crude for June delivery rose 17 cents to $61.72 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent crude for June gained 74 cents to $65.94 a barrel on the ICE Futures exchange in London.