Oil Spill in the Gulf

The Eugene Island pipeline (about 33 miles off the coast, southwest of Houma) was discovered to have a leak in it last week spilling approximately 1500 barrels crude into the Gulf of Mexico. Divers discovered the crack in the pipe and were able to reach it fairly easily as it was only about 60 feet below the surface, a relatively shallow area of water for divers, but have not yet created a permanent fix. On Friday, Shell Oil and the Coast Guard issued a joint statement saying that they were almost finished with clean up efforts but still have not released how they intend to repair the line. According to the Reuters story, the spill was described by officials on scene as "a nine-mile sheen with several streamers of darker oil." Shell is the primary owner of the line but several companies have an interest in it, including ExxonMobil, ConocoPhillips, and Marathon.

Photo by zieak