A pipeline carrying crude to at least two refineries has been shut down after it leaked oil into the Yellowstone River in the US state of Montana after being damaged by flooding.
Exxon Mobil said it has “isolated the segment" of the 30cm pipeline that sprung a leak.
Clean-up crews have been deployed to tackle the spill, which was detected early yesterday.
The pipeline runs about 110km from Silvertip in south-central Montana to Billings, where it supplies a 60,000-barrel-a-day Exxon Mobil refinery and a 61,000-barrel-a-day refinery operated by ConocoPhillips.
An Exxon spokeswoman decline to speculate on how much oil leaked into the river. "Right now our focus is on containing the crude release and getting it cleaned up,” she said.
The fire department in the nearby town of Laurel, evacuated some homes amid concern of possible explosions.
Oil flowed from the pipe for about 30 minutes before it was stopped, the Associated Press reported.