Royal Dutch Shell PLC (RDSA, RDSA.LN) said that an oil sheen floating in the central U.S. Gulf of Mexico didn't stem from two nearby oil and gas platforms owned by the oil giant, and that the amount of oil in the sheen was small.

"A thorough inspection to date of Shell assets reveals operations in the area are normal with no signs of leaks," Shell spokeswoman Kelly op de Weegh said in an e-mailed statement Thursday. The comments seemed to ease investors' concerns that the Anglo-Dutch company was mired in a major environmental catastrophe; shares in London, which were down nearly 4% early Thursday at 2,100 pence, were back up to 2,175 pence after the Shell update. Shell shares in the U.S. , which opened 1.5% below their Wednesday close, were up 0.5% at $68.07 in mid-morning trading.

On Wednesday, Shell spotted a five-square-mile oil sheen in the Gulf's Mississippi Canyon area, according to a filing with the National Response Center . The company said in a statement later that day that a 10-square mile layer of an unknown substance was floating between its Mars and Ursa platforms, which are some of the largest producing facilities in the U.S. Gulf. They are located about 130 miles southeast of New Orleans . In September 2005, Mars was heavily damaged by hurricane Katrina, but restarted service in mid-2006.

Shell said it confirmed that there are "no well control issues" associated with its drilling operations in the area. The company said it is still investigating the sheen, which is estimated to measure the equivalent of six barrels of oil, and will leave the oil-response vessel it dispatched Wednesday in the area. Shell has also deployed remote-operating vehicles to inspect local infrastructure, and also look for naturally occurring seeps.

The U.S. Coast Guard said that it is conducting a flight over the area and that it expects to release results of the observation before noon .

Nearly two years ago, a Transocean Ltd. (RIG, RIGN.VX) rig working for BP PLC (BP, BP.LN) in the U.S. Gulf blew up after it lost control of the deepwater well it was drilling, killing 11 and unleashing the worst offshore oil spill in U.S. history. The unprecedented incident resulted in an overhaul of offshore-drilling regulations and increased vigilance about oil spills in the region.

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