PARIS (Reuters) - A flare on Total's Elgin platform has been extinguished, the company's chief executive said via Total's Twitter account on Saturday, diminishing the looming threat of an explosion.

"The flare on the Elgin platform was extinguished last night," Christophe de Margerie wrote. A spokesman confirmed the tweet.

The flare, some 100 metres away from a natural gas leak that began six days ago on the Elgin platform off Scotland's east coast, triggered fears of a massive explosion were the flare to ignite the leaking gas.

(Reporting By Muriel Boselli; Writing by Alexandria Sage; Editing by Robin Pomeroy)