Estimated read time: Less than a minute
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
(AP) - CRUDE ESTIMATE: Scientists who helped calculate oil spilled from a broken BP well into the Gulf of Mexico are questioning the methodology used to estimate the amount of crude that recently leaked from a ruptured pipeline in North Dakota.
SOME SUMS: Tesoro Corp., which owns the underground pipeline involved, said it came up with its more than 20,000-barrel spill estimate using ground analysis. But oil spill experts say a more accurate assessment likely would come from calculating how much crude went into the pipeline versus what was supposed to come out at its terminus.
SETTING A NEW STANDARD: The company said its site investigation was based on "well-established and recognized American Petroleum Institute, Geologic Society of America and American Institute of Professional Geologists standards." The Geologic Society of America, and the American Institute of Professional Geologists, said their groups have no such standards.
(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)