Potential new deep water oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico-100 mile sheen reported
* March 19th, 2011 6:01 pm ET
The US Coast Guard is currently investigating reports of a potentially massive oil sheen 20 miles north of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion from last April.
According to Paul Barnard, operations controller for the USCG in Louisiana, a helicopter crew has been dispatched to the site of the Matterhorn SeaStar oil rig, owned by W&T Offshore, Inc.
Multiple reports have come in of a sheen nearly 100 miles long and 12 miles wide originating near the site.
Independent pilots, including John Wathen of the Waterkeeper Alliance, and Bonnie Schumaker with Wings of Care, are currently flying out to investigate the spill. Schumaker reports having seen the sheen on Friday, March 18, and confirms that it is rapidly expanding.
A Louisiana fisherman, who has chosen to remain anonymous at this time, also reports fresh oil coming ashore near South Pass, LA, and that cleanup crews are laying new boom near the beach.
The origination point of the sheen, near Mississippi Canyon 243, lies 30 miles southeast of the Louisiana coastline, and extends to Barataria Bay. The Matterhorn oil field, at a depth of 2,789 feet (850 meters) of water, was discovered in 1999, leased and permitted in July 2001, and came into production in November 2003.
According to W&T, the field has produced an average rate of 5,200 barrels of oil per day, and has production capacities of 35,000 barrels of oil per day.
Update March 20, 2011: A Coast Guard officer with a command center in Morgan City, LA, said today the Coast Guard has confirmed that the new oil is not coming from the Deepwater Horizon well but that they have found new oil slicks in the Gulf. Their investigation continues. Additional photos from pilot John Wathen have been released and can be viewed in the slideshow attached to this article.
* March 19th, 2011 6:01 pm ET
The US Coast Guard is currently investigating reports of a potentially massive oil sheen 20 miles north of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion from last April.
According to Paul Barnard, operations controller for the USCG in Louisiana, a helicopter crew has been dispatched to the site of the Matterhorn SeaStar oil rig, owned by W&T Offshore, Inc.
Multiple reports have come in of a sheen nearly 100 miles long and 12 miles wide originating near the site.
Independent pilots, including John Wathen of the Waterkeeper Alliance, and Bonnie Schumaker with Wings of Care, are currently flying out to investigate the spill. Schumaker reports having seen the sheen on Friday, March 18, and confirms that it is rapidly expanding.
A Louisiana fisherman, who has chosen to remain anonymous at this time, also reports fresh oil coming ashore near South Pass, LA, and that cleanup crews are laying new boom near the beach.
The origination point of the sheen, near Mississippi Canyon 243, lies 30 miles southeast of the Louisiana coastline, and extends to Barataria Bay. The Matterhorn oil field, at a depth of 2,789 feet (850 meters) of water, was discovered in 1999, leased and permitted in July 2001, and came into production in November 2003.
According to W&T, the field has produced an average rate of 5,200 barrels of oil per day, and has production capacities of 35,000 barrels of oil per day.
Update March 20, 2011: A Coast Guard officer with a command center in Morgan City, LA, said today the Coast Guard has confirmed that the new oil is not coming from the Deepwater Horizon well but that they have found new oil slicks in the Gulf. Their investigation continues. Additional photos from pilot John Wathen have been released and can be viewed in the slideshow attached to this article.
I have never been up in a plane before....I would have thoroughly enjoyed the trip if it weren't for all the crud on the water. Keep after them John! And thanks for all the time,energy and money that you spend to do this.
ReplyDeletePart OneGovernment/Homeland Security,
ReplyDeleteThey monitor our every move, read our mail and yet - still, don't have a clue what we've said!
PRESIDENTS VIEW::
Media:
Mr. President, whats your take on the Oil Crisis right here in the United States
Mr. President,
Well,? I'm not thinking I have it so bad. I have put the word out that we are no longer to discuss this event within the media as we just want to cover it up and pretend their nightmare never occurred. The media has agreed with us here at the White House and thus far has held their end of our bargain and these orders will remain in affect indefinitely. Let me add to that, those that don't remain quite will be dealt with. There are those out there, and you know who you are, thinking that somehow its the governments responsibility to provide to them clean water for ever as well as relief?,
Mr. President:
What I stated earlier on in this conversation about not having it so bad, I was referring to the spectacular job we have done in keeping a lid on it, thus far. The majority of the people here in the United States have no clue of the true devastation presently occurring in our Gulf region.
Mr. Precedent Continue,
Now, take Japan for example, there just ain't know way in hell to cover that shit up. Do you see now why we have in forced a media black-out on our Crisis? Its the media who gets this information out. At this point the only thing Japans gonna be putting a lid on is them reactor we sold em in the 70s. But, please inform all the American people that they can be assured I have and will continue to maintain a good relationship with the governing bodies in Japan that remain. As well inform my friend's in the Gulf that its a good thing we didn't ship off to them any relief supplies that they could truly use. That would have truly put a damper on what we have available to give freely to other nations rather than to those here. I have personally committed to getting to them the balance of our own relief supplies as I have just pr oven to them that they, I mean we can do without. I give a shout out to the Good people of Japan as if only I could get just get those here at home to be so obedient.
Thanks for taking the time and effort to do this work - it is very much needed! Please keep up the good work.
ReplyDeleteThanks again!