BP has closed down the CATS gas pipeline network after a remotely operated vehicle on Sunday discovered damage caused by the dropping of a ship’s anchor onto pipe and concrete casing.

“It was pretty low volumes”, a company spokesman said about maintenance across some of installations offshore that would have curbed any escape of natural gas.

The Andrew, Banff, Everest, Montrose and Seymour fields normally serve up gas to the CATS Gas Terminal in the English Northeast.

No reopening time was offered, as the oil company checks the extent of the damage.