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Oasis Petroleum works to plug out-of-control North Dakota well

WILLISTON, N.D. – Oasis Petroleum Inc resumed efforts on Tuesday to plug an out-of-control North Dakota well that has leaked oil, saltwater and natural gas since a blowout last weekend, hoping to have it plugged by this afternoon, a spokesman said.

More than 67,000 gallons of oil have leaked from the well so far. Law enforcement and federal regulators have closed several roads around the site due to concerns about the effects of leaking gas.

Pumps again began injecting mud and clay into the well, located near a tributary of the Missouri River, at about 8 a.m. local time (1300 GMT). Crews had halted operations overnight out of safety concerns.

The well is located about 15 miles south of White Earth, in Mountrail County, one of the more prolific oil-producing regions in North Dakota.

The Houston-based company was first notified that the well had blown out late on Saturday night when a driver passing by the site heard a loud noise and called the company’s public emergency response phone line.

Shares of Oasis were up 3.6 percent on Tuesday after earlier rising more than 6 percent in line with the broader markets and a jump in crude oil prices.

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