Search for pipeline leak after as much as 1.1M gallons of oil sullies Gulf of Mexico
As much as 1.1 million gallons of oil may have been spilled into the Gulf of Mexico through a pipeline system off Louisiana’s southeastern coast
By means ofKEVIN MCGILL Associated Press
November 21, 2023, 2:58 PM
In this U.S. Coast Guard photo, a 110-foot Clean Gulf Associates response ship skims crude oil about 4 miles southeast of South Pass Louisiana, Friday, Nov. 17, 2023. A unified command consisting of the Coast Guard, Main Pass Oil Gathering Company, LLC, and the Louisiana Oil Spill Coordinator’s Office are coordinating actions to assess, contain and mitigate the impact of the spill. (U.S. Coast Guard/Courtesy Clean Gulf Associates via AP)
The Associated Press
NEW ORLEANS– As much as 1.1 million gallons of oil may have been spilled into the Gulf of Mexico through a pipeline system off Louisiana’s southeastern coast, the U.S. Coast Guard said Tuesday.
The affected pipeline has been shut down, but authorities were still trying to determine the exact location and cause of the leak, officials said at a Coast Guard news conference. So far, none of the oil has reached land, although its impact on wildlife is still being studied. A U.S. Fish and Wildlife official said two oily pelicans were spotted off the coast of Louisiana on Saturday, but they still appeared active and able to fly.
The oil spill was discovered during high winds in the Gulf, which caused some of the oil to evaporate and spread. However, shine and spots were visible, said Capt. Kelly Denning, sector commander of the Coast Guard in New Orleans.
The Coast Guard said the oil was discovered near a pipeline system owned by Main Pass Oil Company, a subsidiary of Houston-based Third Coast Infrastructure LLC. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday morning. A 67-mile stretch of pipeline was shut down last week while officials worked to determine the location and source of the leak.
WWL-TV reported Friday that pipeline gauges showed 1.1 million gallons of oil had been lost. Federal officials later confirmed the total could be that high. The amount is much less than the BP oil spill in 2010, when 134 million liters were released in the weeks after an oil rig explosion.
Still, one environmental group described the spill as “huge.”
“From dolphins to birds to rare whales, Gulf animals are once again under siege by a spill-prone industry that puts profit above all else,” the Center for Biological Diversity said in a news release.
