The Coast Guard is responding to the reports of an almost 100 mile slick of oil in the Gulf Of Mexico

[Pathfinder]

UPDATE: Possible oil sheen under investigation in Gulf of Mexico could be large

Published: Saturday, March 19, 2011, 2:55 PM Updated: Saturday, March 19, 2011, 4:52 PM

By Michelle Krupa, The Times-Picayune


The U.S. Coast Guard is investigating reports of a potentially massive oil sheen about 20 miles north of the site of last April's Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion.

A helicopter crew and pollution investigators have been dispatched to Main Pass Block 41 in response to two calls to the National Response Center, the federal point of contact for reporting oil and chemical spills, said Paul Barnard, an operations controller for Coast Guard Sector New Orleans.

The first caller, around 11 a.m., described a sheen of about a half-mile long and a half-mile wide, he said.

About two hours later, another caller reported a much larger sheen -- about 100 miles long -- originating in the same area and spreading west to Cocodrie on Terrebonne Bay, Barnard said.

"We haven't been able to verify that, and it would be very unlikely for an individual to be able to observe a 100-mile long sheen," he said, adding inspection teams were en route around 3 p.m. to the site. ..

http://www.nola.com/news/index.ssf/2011/03/oil_sheen_in_gulf_of_mexico_un.html

[Pathfinder]

The Coast Guard is responding to the reports of an almost 100 mile slick of oil in the Gulf Of Mexico

Coast Guard Investigates Oil Sheen

by WKRG Staff
Published: Sat, March 19, 2011 - 7:54 pm CST Last Updated: Sat, March 19, 2011 - 8:11 pm CST

The Coast Guard says it is responding to the reports of an almost 100 mile slick of oil in the Gulf Of Mexico off the coast of Louisiana.

Excerpt:

The Coast Guard flew over the reported sites and was able to confirm a substance on the surface. The U.S.C.G. says it is on the scene and continuing to look into the situation there. A crew and a marine science expert have been dispatched from the Coast Guard Aviation Training Center in Mobile to assess the situation.

It is still unclear if the reported oil is from the Deepwater Horizon site.

http://www.wkrg.com/gulf_oil_spill/article/coast-guard-investigates-oil-sheen/1205615/Mar-19-2011_8-11-pm/

[alert]

Possible new large oil spill in Gulf of Mexico

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704021504576211440860187916.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

MARCH 19, 2011, 11:51 P.M. ET.U.S. Coast Guard Investigating Oil Slick Reports in Gulf .

By RYAN DEZEMBER
HOUSTON -- The U.S. Coast Guard said late Saturday that it is investigating reports of a miles-long oil slick in the Gulf of Mexico.

The Coast Guard said in a news release that it received a report of a three-mile-long rainbow sheen off the Louisiana coast just before 9:30 a.m. local time on Saturday. Two subsequent sightings were relayed to the Coast Guard, the last of which reported a sheen that extended from about 6 miles south of Grand Isle, La. to 100 miles offshore.

Though the Coast Guard was able to confirm that there is a substance on the water's surface, it has not yet been able to determine if it is oil. Petty Officer Casey Ranel said that those that observed the sheen from a helicopter said they saw no sheen associated with the substance. That flight was diverted from the scene on a separate search and rescue mission, however, and could not continue their investigation, the Coast Guard said in the news release.

The Coast Guard has since launched additional aircraft and boats to the scene from New Orleans and Mobile, Ala., to collect samples of the substance. Ranel said the area where the substance has been reported is about 20 miles west of where the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded last April, killing 11 and unleashing the largest offshore oil spill in U.S. history.

Ranel said the Coast Guard has not linked the substance to any particular rig or well.

The Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund, which holds oil royalties to pay for spill clean-up costs, has been opened, the Coast Guard said.

[Pathfinder]

Re: The Coast Guard is responding to the reports of an almost 100 mile slick of oil in the Gulf Of Mexico

Mystery sheen in Gulf of Mexico; Coast Guard investigating today

Published: Sunday, March 20, 2011, 8:36 AM Updated: Sunday, March 20, 2011, 9:18 AM

By The Associated Press


NEW ORLEANS ? The U.S. Coast Guard says there is some sort of substance on the water in the Gulf of Mexico, and officials are collecting samples to determine what it is.

Coast Guard spokeswoman Casey Ranel says the agency is sending out a cutter this morning to collect samples of the substance, which was spotted off the coast of Louisiana. She says an airplane also is expected to fly over so officials can get a better idea of what's in the water...

http://blog.al.com/wire/2011/03/mystery_sheen_in_gulf_of_mexic.html

[wdcare]

Re: The Coast Guard is responding to the reports of an almost 100 mile slick of oil in the Gulf Of Mexico

New aerial photos from John Wathen 3-20-11 here:

http://bpoilslick.blogspot.com/2011/03/new-gulf-problems-more-oil-in-fishing.html

[Pathfinder]

Re: The Coast Guard is responding to the reports of an almost 100 mile slick of oil in the Gulf Of Mexico

Gulf sheen may have come from well being plugged

Published: Sunday, March 20, 2011, 7:52 PM Updated: Sunday, March 20, 2011, 8:03 PM

By Stephen Babcock, The Times-Picayune


Oil was released into the Gulf of Mexico south of Grand Isle for four to six hours Saturday, the apparent source of an oil sheen in the gulf over the weekend, a Jefferson Parish Council member said.

The source of the leak has been secured, Councilman Chris Roberts said in an email.

Roberts said Coast Guard Commander John Burton of Morgan City said a drilling site was being plugged when the leak occurred.

Roberts did not offer details on the size of the oil sheen created by the spill. On Saturday, the Coast Guard received varying reports detailing a between three and 100 miles long, starting about six miles off the coast of Grand Isle.

.../

http://www.nola.com/news/index.ssf/2011/03/oil_confirmed_in_gulf.html

[Pathfinder]

Re: The Coast Guard is responding to the reports of an almost 100 mile slick of oil in the Gulf Of Mexico

Tests underway on oil spotted near Grand Isle

by Dominic Massa / Eyewitness News
wwltv.com
Posted on March 20, 2011 at 8:18 PM



Excerpt:


Jefferson Parish President John Young spoke to reporters Sunday afternoon about what officials referred to as ribbons of oil to the west of the main island of Grand Isle, near Elmer?s Island and Caminada Bay.

?It looks similar to what we saw at the height of the oil spill,? Young said. ?Browning, orangeish, oil (mixed) together with what appeared to be dispersant. We don't know.?
...
Roberts? email said there appeared to be no new well fires which might have caused the discharge.

?In the meantime we're getting boom out there to try and cut off that cut that allows this substance, we think it?s oil, to go into the marsh behind Elmer?s Island,? Young said.

After initial reports Saturday morning of oil being spotted in the Gulf, a
Coast Guard spokesman told Eyewitness News late Saturday evening that there was no sheen found during an investigation. Instead, it appeared to be dredged silt.

Young confirmed that silt was what the parish was initially told was being spotted.

?But this morning, it was in Caminada Pass. Residents called, the mayor called and we flew down there to look at it,? Young said Sunday. ?It clearly smells like oil. It clearly looks like oil.?
...

Full text:

http://www.wwltv.com/news/Tests-underway-on-oil-spotted-near-Grand-Isle-118339554.html

[Pathfinder]

Re: The Coast Guard is responding to the reports of an almost 100 mile slick of oil in the Gulf Of Mexico

D8 External Affairs
U.S. Coast Guard

News Release
Date: March 20, 2011

UPDATE 1: Coast Guard responds to report of oil in the Gulf of Mexico

NEW ORLEANS -- The Coast Guard continues to respond to reports of pollution in the Gulf of Mexico, Sunday.


Saturday, watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector New Orleans received notifications of possible pollution that varied in size and location. The largest sighting was described as a dark substance floating on and beneath the surface of the water stretching 100 miles out into the Gulf of Mexico south of Grand Isle. The Coast Guard Cutter Pompano was deployed and gathered samples, which have been analyzed and have been found to contain only trace amounts of petroleum hydrocarbons, oil and grease. They were analyzed using the Louisiana Department of Enviromental Quality's standard for clean, which is less than 64.9 mg/L (65 ppm) for petroleum hydrocarbons and 9,988 mg/L (10,000 ppm) for oil and grease. The first sample collected showed 8 mg/L for total petroleum hydrocarbons and 86 mg/L for oil and grease. The second sample collected showed 5 mg/L for total petroleum hydrocarbons and 15 mg/L of oil and grease. At this point, the dark substance is believed to be caused by a tremendous amount of sediment being carried down the Mississippi River due to high water, possibly further agitated by dredging operations.

Also, the Coast Guard was notified Sunday that an oily substance was washing ashore on Elmer Isle, Fourchon Beach and Grand Isle. Coast Guard investigators are on scene and assessing the situation. Currently, the west end of Grand Isle, the east and west end of Elmer Island, and intermittent areas of Fourchon Beach have been impacted. Reports of sheen in Timbalier Bay were also reported, but there is no confirmation of Timbalier Island being impacted. Oil spill response assets have been mobilized, and as part of the Coast Guard?s response plan, have begun pre-staging boom in order to prevent oil from impacting various bays and other environmentally sensitive areas.

Samples have been taken from the shoreline impacts for testing, but the oily substance is not, at this time, suspected to be residual oil from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

?We have 10,000 feet of hard boom and 9,000 feet of five-inch sorbent boom ordered into the area. We have 5,000 feet of each boom already delivered and staged in Grand Isle,? said Capt. Jonathan Burton, commanding officer Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Morgan City and Federal on Scene Coordinator for the response.

ES&H has been hired to begin cleaning up the impacted shorelines.

?To avoid delays in resource availability and delivery, we have taken a forward leaning approach and authorized ES&H to procure whatever additional boom and resources they need,? said Burton.

The separate incidents are under investigation and more information will be released as it becomes available.

http://www.d8externalaffairs.com/go/doc/425/1043939/

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Re: The Coast Guard is responding to the reports of an almost 100 mile slick of oil in the Gulf Of Mexico

News Release
Date: March 21, 2011
Contact: External Affairs Office
(504) 671-2020

UPDATE 2: Coast Guard responds to reports of oil in Gulf of Mexico

NEW ORLEANS ?The Coast Guard is continuing clean up and recovery operations in Grand Isle, Monday, after an oily substance began washing ashore.

An oily substance was reported to be washing ashore, Sunday, which prompted Coast Guard, along with other state and local agencies, to begin clean up and recovery operations of impacted shorelines on Elmer Island, Fourchon Beach and Grand Isle.

"We are working with our state and local partners to mitigate any further environmental impact while continuing to facilitate the safe movement of marine traffic to the fullest extent possible. Vessel traffic is highly encouraged to avoid the spill area and vessels that must transit through the affected zone should make every effort to avoid pockets of oil while ensuring safe navigation," stated Capt. Jonathan Burton, the Federal On-Scene Coordinator for the response. "We are continuing to examine all measures necessary to maintain uninterrupted commerce throughout the Morgan City Captain of the Port Zone."

Currently, an estimated half mile of shoreline, in all areas combined, has been affected.

Assets currently being used in the clean up and recovery operations include:
- Approximately 10,000 feet of containment and sorbent boom have been pre-staged to prevent damage to environmentally sensitive areas;
- Two MARKO Skimmers are currently underway and another two MARKO Skimmers are on hand;
- Two barge boats;
- Two drum skimmers.

"As we are all stewards of the environment and equally concerned with the impacts to our shorelines, the State is jointly managing this spill to ensure that all resources and emergency response personnel are best utilized in a unified response posture," said Randall McGimsey, a representative from the Louisiana Oil Spill Coordinator's Office.

Assisting and cooperating agencies currently engaged in the clean up and recovery operations include:
- Louisiana Oil Spill Coordinator's Office;
- Department of Public Safety;
- Grand Isle Fire Department;
- Louisiana National Guard.

ES&H has been contracted to clean up the spill.

A source has not yet been identified, and the Coast Guard is investigating the cause of the incident.


http://www.d8externalaffairs.com/go/...Gulf-of-Mexico

[Farmer]

Re: The Coast Guard is responding to the reports of an almost 100 mile slick of oil in the Gulf Of Mexico

A Houston-based oil company has accepted responsibility for a mysterious spill near Grand Isle, although it says it remains "surprised" that what it thought was a minor discharge from a long dormant well could have produced miles-long slicks.

//
Anglo-Suisse also accepted responsibility for cleanup, even though the statement also said company officials were surprised by the Coast Guard's "suggestion" because the well is "non-producing and has been monitored closely for the last six months."

The well is one the company was plugging for permanent abandonment, in the West Delta Block 117 west-southwest of Southwest Pass.

In three reports to the Coast Guard since Friday, the company had reported that less than 5 gallons of crude had escaped. But state Wildlife and Fisheries agents traced the oil to the Anglo-Suisse well at its Platform E facility on Monday afternoon and found a crew on a boat trying to close in the well with a remotely operated submarine.

//

http://www.nola.com/news/gulf-oil-spill/index.ssf/2011/03/houston_company_accepts_respon.html

[LaMenchos]

Re: The Coast Guard is responding to the reports of an almost 100 mile slick of oil in the Gulf Of Mexico

Source of 30-mile oil spill in Gulf puzzles officials

Published: Monday, March 21, 2011, 11:00 PM Updated: Tuesday, March 22, 2011, 12:42 PM
By Mark Schleifstein, The Times-Picayune
Emulsified oil, oil mousse and tar balls from an unknown source were washing up on beaches from Grand Isle to West Timbalier Island along the Gulf of Mexico, a stretch of about 30 miles, and it was still heading west Monday afternoon, a Louisiana official said. The state is testing the material to see if it matches oil from last April's BP Deepwater Horizon disaster.

Michael DeMocker, The Times-PicayuneIn a split-field photograph, a fisherman looks down at the surface oil in a tidal pool near a breakwater in Grand Isle on Friday.
snip
The news release said that when all areas where the material has washed ashore are combined, about a half-mile of shoreline was affected.
...
"We have multiple independent tests under way to determine the source." On Sunday, Jefferson Parish Councilman Chris Roberts reported that a Coast Guard official had said the oil might be from a project to plug and abandon a well just offshore of Grand Isle. But Coast Guard officials said they're still waiting for tests of material collected in that area to determine where it came from.
A Coast Guard news release said a second, much larger area of sheen south of Grand Isle in the Gulf of Mexico contained small amounts of oil constituents mixed with sediment that seemed to be coming from the Mississippi River. The Coast Guard Cutter Pompano was deployed and gathered samples, which contained only trace amounts of petroleum hydrocarbons, oil and grease.
The samples were tested against state Department of Enviromental Quality standards, which call for no more than 65 parts per million of hydrocarbons and just under 10,000 ppm of oil and grease. One sample contained 8 ppm of total petroleum hydrocarbons and 86 ppm of oil and grease. A second contained 5 ppm of total hydrocarboms and 15 ppm of oil and grease.
"At this point, the dark substance is believed to be caused by a tremendous amount of sediment being carried down the Mississippi River due to high water, possibly further agitated by dredging operations," the Coast Guard release said.
A spokesman for the Army Corps of Engineers, however, said none of the three dredges operating near the mouth of the Mississippi River has reported any oil in the material they're removing from the river bottom to keep the channel deep enough for ocean-going ships.
The Mississippi River had risen to 12.5 feet in New Orleans on Monday, up from only 3 feet above sea level three weeks ago, an indicator that the river contains a heavy load of sediment from upstream.
Betty Doud, a Grand Isle resident who volunteers with the Louisiana Bucket Brigade, said she monitored the oil moving along Grand Isle on Sunday.
"I was out there from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. yesterday and the stuff came in in waves onto the island and through Caminada Pass," she said. "There were these orange, nasty waves and black oil mixed with it. The oil was in the rocks along the pass."
Doud collected a sample of the material for Jefferson Parish President John Young, who was inspecting the area, and Young told her it would be tested at a laboratory in Lafayette. Doud has sent other samples to the Bucket Brigade, which will have them tested independently to determine if the oil matches that released last year from the BP Deepwater Horizon disaster.
The tests also will determine whether the oil contains cancer-causing oil constituents, or Corexit, the dispersant used last year to break up oil from the BP well.

http://www.nola.com/news/gulf-oil-spill/index.ssf/2011/03/source_of_30-mile_oil_spill_in.html

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Re: The Coast Guard is responding to the reports of an almost 100 mile slick of oil in the Gulf Of Mexico

Recent oil spill at Grand Isle cleaned up, responsible company says

Published: Thursday, April 07, 2011, 10:06 AM Updated: Thursday, April 07, 2011, 10:28 AM
By David Hammer, The Times-Picayune

Anglo-Suisse Offshore Partners LLC, the Houston-based oil company that was named responsible for a recent oil spill near Grand Isle, is reporting that its cleanup work is done.

The oil spill started March 18 and came ashore along a 30-mile stretch of shoreline, from Grand Isle to Elmer's Island and Fourchon Beach, over the following days.

Anglo-Suisse reported spilling a total of just 4 gallons over three days, but the Coast Guard later determined that the company's dormant wells in West Delta Block 117 was the source of all of the oil that came ashore. Anglo-Suisse disputed that finding but agreed to pay for the cleanup.

More...

http://www.nola.com/news/gulf-oil-spill/index.ssf/2011/04/recent_oil_spill_at_grand_isle.html