Peru oil spill remediation and cleaning could cost $65 million, Repsol CEO says

MADRID (Reuters) – Clean-up and remediation costs after a major oil spill of more than 10,000 barrels at a Repsol facility in Peru could total more than $65 million, the Spanish company’s chief executive said on Thursday.

“What we are seeing today in cost terms could be around $65 million more or less … this figure could increase in coming weeks,” Josu Jon Imaz told analysts on a conference call.

“A main part of this figure is going to be covered by insurance companies and so on,” Imaz added.

The spill occurred just off the coast of Lima on Jan. 15 when a tanker was rocked by waves caused by the eruption of a volcano in Tonga, Repsol and Peruvian officials have said.

(Reporting by Isla Binnie, editing by Inti Landauro)