Equinor is investigating an oil spill at its Statfjord Field in the North Sea, although the Norwegian company said on May 15 the incident had not disrupted production.

Loading was stopped and loading systems at the field were shut down after oil was spotted nearby, the company said. It added systems were also mobilized to deal with such a situation.

“In connection with loading oil from buoy to shuttle tanker on the North Sea Statfjord field, oil was observed on the sea surface early this morning,” Equinor said.

The buoy is located 2 km from the nearest Statfjord platform so oil production is continuing as normal, Equinor spokesman Morten Eek said.

“We are always treating situations when we observe oil on the sea seriously. ... It’s still too early to say the extent of this leakage,” Eek said.

Statfjord, which opened in 1979, is among the oldest fields still producing in the North Sea. Equinor has said the first of its three platforms is due to close in 2022.