BEIJIN - ConocoPhillips China (COPC) said on Wednesday that it has halted operations at two of its platforms in north China's Bohai Bay after China's maritime authorities ordered a suspension.

China's State Oceanic Administration (SOA) told the company on Wednesday that it must halt production at the two platforms due to its poor efforts in cleaning up two recent oil spills. The spills were first detected early last month and seriously polluted 840 square km of sea area in Bohai Bay.

"Another spill could occur at any time. This poses a huge threat to the ecology of Bohai Bay," the statement said.

COPC said it has taken measures to prevent any possibility of further spills and is expecting residual oil leakages to gradually cease.

The company is waiting for further direction from the SOA while thoroughly reevaluating all of its facilities to prevent future oil spills.

A subsidiary of US-based energy giant ConocoPhillips, COPC operates platforms in the Penglai 19-3 oilfield, located in Bohai Bay, under an arrangement with the China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC), China's largest offshore oil producer.

A total of 47,000 barrels of crude oil are produced at the two platforms each day, accounting for one-third of the total output of the Penglai 19-3 oilfield, according to the COPC.