Seven Drilling Rigs in The Gulf of Mexico Shut Down Due to Oil Spill
Due to a leak on the Main Pass Oil Gathering pipeline and subsequent pollution of the Gulf of Mexico, not only the oil pipeline itself has been stopped, but also drilling platforms near Louisiana – everyone is looking for the location of the leak.
According to the US Coast Guard, a pipeline leak off the coast of Louisiana, which released oil into the Gulf of Mexico, forced seven drilling platforms to stop production, Bloomberg writes. There is no timeline for resuming production as the Coast Guard continues to search for the source of the release, Capt. Kelly Denning said. The rough seas and strong winds that had slowed work in the first few days have subsided, allowing cleanup efforts and the search for the source to continue.
The 26,000-barrel oil spill first became known on November 16, when pipeline operator Main Pass Oil Gathering reported a drop in pressure in the pipe, a sign of a leak. Denning said it is unclear whether Main Pass is responsible because there are several pipeline operators in the area. The names of these companies are not disclosed.
The day before, Heavy Louisiana Sweet crude oil produced in the area (the same one that was spilled) was trading at $3.25 a barrel over WTI crude, the highest premium since May, according to Link Data Services.
The spill did not affect ship traffic and the oil did not reach shore, according to the Coast Guard. But environmentalists are sounding the alarm, pointing to the dangers of an oil spill the size of two Olympic stadiums for birds and marine animals.
The oil pipeline itself, from which the leak occurred, was stopped on that Thursday, November 16th. Now it is being explored by underwater drones, looking for the location of the blast.
