Workers combat oil spill in Gulf
Fears the slick
could head
toward shore
NEW ORLEANS, Oct. 3 — About 155,000 gallons of crude oil spilled from a broken underwater pipeline in the Gulf of Mexico, creating a slick that spread for 25 miles, BP Exploration said
THE SLICK was discovered Thursday morning about 30 miles southwest of the mouth of the Mississippi River. It came from a leak in a pipeline that connects to a BP oil platform about 100 miles southeast of New Orleans, company spokesman Steve Peacock said on Friday.
BP said the slick appeared to be moving away from shore, although there were reports of oil reaching South Pass at the southeastern tip of Louisiana.
No dead birds or fish had been seen, but authorities were worried about the possibility that the slick and the sheen could shift directions and head toward shore.
“That's where we have the greater potential for wildlife impact,” said David Oge' of the state Department of Environmental Quality. “It's a highly productive area with numerous shore birds and migratory waterfowl.”
When the spill was discovered, the oil platform was shut down and the pipeline had closed automatically, the company said.
A Coast Guard cleanup team placed a dispersant on the slick, which was five miles wide, to help the oil dissipate. Smith said the dispersant was working “very effectively.” At the same time, a 210-foot ship that recovers spilled oil was working the area.
PACIFIC SPILL STILL A THREAT
Meanwhile, another spill, found a week ago in the Pacific off San Francisco, was still causing trouble.
The spill is near a national marine sanctuary that is one of the most productive seabird breeding grounds in the eastern Pacific. So far, 32 birds have been killed while 44 oil-covered birds were taken to the U.S. Coast Guard's wildlife care center in Santa Cruz to recover, Lt. Ben Benson said Thursday night.
Crews have picked up nearly three tons of tar balls and other oily debris from beaches south of Half Moon Bay. It was unclear how long the cleanup would continue, Benson said.
Authorities are still trying to determine who caused the 10-mile slick, first spotted just 10 miles outside San Francisco Bay. They are using shipping logs and photographs from a commercial satellite under contract with the state in hopes of figuring out which tankers were in the area.
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