Chevron pays US$17.5 million fine for Brazil spill

US oil firm Chevron has paid a US$17.5 million fine for a major spill off Rio de Janeiro state last year, Brazilian authorities said Thursday.

In a brief statement, the country’s National Petroleum Agency (ANP) said Chevron Brasil Upstream Frade Ltda. had paid the sum (35.1 million real) last Friday without appealing it.

A report by ANP released in July accused Chevron of negligence and said the company could have avoided the spill, which occurred in November in the Frade field, located 370 kilometers (230 miles) northwest of Rio.

via Business feed http://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1049306/chevron-pays-us175-million-fine-brazil-spill