State and BP PLC officials are looking into mishaps this week at Prudhoe Bay, including the rupture of a natural gas pipeline. A segment of the seven-inch pipe was thrown onto the tundra in the rupture Monday. There were no injuries. The high-pressure line supplies gas to an oil well production pad at Prudhoe Bay, the nation's largest oil field. State regulators say there was no spill or fire in the incident. But natural gas was released into the atmosphere. Also on Monday, a valve on a different well production pad leaked natural gas. Also, BP on  Thursday reported a crude oil spill of about 150 gallons. Steve Rinehart, a BP spokesman, says the pipeline rupture has resulted in oil wells being shut down as a precaution at two Prudhoe production pads, curtailing daily oil production by 3,000 to 7,000 barrels a day. BP operates the oil field.

(Associated Press)