WASHINGTON (AP) – The U.S. Coast Guard said Saturday that crews are responding to a massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
The flow appears to have come from an underground lease for two miles (three miles) south of Port Forton, Louisiana. The reported location is the first in aerial photographs near the long brown and black oil spill site Wednesday in the Associated Press.
The rising tide seems to have stopped at sea and has not affected the coast of Louisiana. It is unknown at this time what he will do after leaving the post.
Coast Guard spokesman Lt. John Edwards said the source of the contamination was in Bay Marchand, Block 4, which is believed to be crude oil from Talos Energy’s pipeline.
Brian El Grove, a spokesman for the Houston-based power company, said he did not believe the company was responsible for the oil, but said it had hired Gulf partners to respond.
Pure Gulf partners responded to the show on Wednesday with a non-profit oil and gas partnership. Their workers set up a bomb to reduce the spread of the oil. The Coast Guard has so far removed only 42 gallons (about 160 gallons), but the company’s ships are still working to remove oil from the water.
While Talos is investigating the cause of the leak, Grove’s statement indicates that field observations are not the source of the company’s assets. Talos previously leased the Bay Marchand, Block 5, but It stopped production in 2017, stopped the wells and removed all pipeline infrastructure in 2019.
According to Talos, two 95-foot (29-meter) response ships have been sent to the site for oil recovery work. An armored lift boat has also been set up and is expected to arrive on Saturday to help determine the source of the leak.
“Talos will continue to work with the US Coast Guard and other state and federal agencies to identify and coordinate the successful response,” the company said in a statement. The company’s main focus is the safety of all employees and public and environmental protection.
Dozens of environmental disasters and federal regulators are responding to the Category 4 hurricane that struck Port Forton on Sunday in Louisiana and the Gulf. The region is the largest production center of the American petrochemical industry.
The APM also reported on Wednesday that images from the National Atmospheric and Oceans study showed widespread flooding and oil spills at the expanded Philips 66 Alliance refinery near the Mississippi River south of New Orleans.
After the APS published the photos, the Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday sent a specially-designed reconnaissance aircraft to fly over the filter, as well as 150 miles (240 km) of hurricanes and other industrial sites hit hardest by the storm.
The state review team sent by the Louisiana Department of Environmental Protection to the Alliance found that heavy oil spills and leaks were being detected. A flood designed to protect the plants was broken, causing floodwaters to flow during the storm and then back off as the storm subsided.
According to regional environmental officials, it is not yet known how much oil has leaked from the refinery.
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Contact the AP International Investigative Team at Investigative@ap.org.
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