New oil leak found in the Gulf of Mexico, emergency again?

27 July 2010 27 July 2010

BonTrade

The US Coast Guard dispatched emergency teams Tuesday after a boat crashed into an oil well off the coast of New Orleans, spilling crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico.

Oil is shooting into the air over the US Gulf of Mexico after dredge barge hit a wellhead in the shallow waters of Barataria Bay off Louisiana early this morning.

This latest oil spill involves a well in a portion of Barataria Bay known as Mud Lake, near Bayou St. Dennis about 10 miles south of Lafitte, Louisiana.

Although this latest spill is unrelated to the Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, it’s blocking vessels of opportunity based in Lafitte from accessing the Gulf, as officials assess air quality and other health and safety issues at the site.

Reports of a giant fountain of oil were downplayed by US authorities who said only a light sheen was visible on the surface, some six feet above the damaged wellhead. What do you make of it? (images below).

New Oil Spill in the Gulf

gulf-oil-spill

“It’s apparent that some type of vessel has hit the well head, has laid it over,” said Donald Nalty, of oil spill cleanup contractor ES&H, who just returned from a flyover of the site in single engine seaplane. “It’s probably about a four inch casing and it’s spewing out oil and natural gas.”

Nalty said the oil was coming out as a mist and was dusting nearby marshes. The oil well was not producing, but owner Cedyco, a Houston-based junior, had not plugged it and it is currently considered orphaned.

“There have been reports of oil from the elision and we are investigating those reports to mitigate any environmental concerns,” said William Colclough, a Coast Guard spokesman.