Total SA (TOT) was still waiting Wednesday morning for favorable weather conditions before launching an operation to return to its Elgin platform in the North Sea , a spokesman said.

Total plans to send a special crew to the platform it was forced to abandon and power down ten days ago due to a major gas leak following an operation to kill a well.

Earlier in the week, Total said the crew could board the platform as soon as Wednesday evening, but a sudden drop in temperatures in northeast Scotland Tuesday caused the weather to become a consideration.

However, a spokeswoman at the U.K. 's Met office said the weather Wednesday is expected to be much calmer.

"Things are much calmer than they have been over the last few days," the spokeswoman said. "There are a few showers around but I think those are dying out...we should find the winds dropping even further as we go through the afternoon," she added.

Once on board, the crew is expected to secure the platform before two simultaneous operations to address the leak are launched.

The first operation involves pouring heavy mud into the well in the hope that sufficient downward pressure will be exerted to stem the flow of gas.

A second, costlier and more time consuming plan involves drilling two relief wells to divert the gas. Total has already begun moving drilling rigs into position and initial relief-drilling work is expected to begin around April 8, Total has said.

Meanwhile, the loss of around 60,000 barrels a day of Forties oil due to the shutdown of the Elgin field is causing havoc in the oil market.

At least 8 cargoes of Forties crude--a key component of the major physical benchmark, Brent crude--have been delayed as a result of the gas leak, and as many as three more have been cancelled altogether, traders operating in the region said.

"It is bad news for refiners," said one trader in the market. Because Forties is so integral in setting the price of the physical benchmark, the cost of any oil priced off Brent will go up.

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