A “General Lee” car damaged by Hurricane Ida at John Schneider’s studio in Holden, Louisiana, September 2, 2021
Sean Rayford/Getty Images
The U.S. Coast Guard said on Monday that it is investigating nearly 350 reports of oil spills in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico and its coastal areas after Hurricane Ida.
Hurricane Ida caused severe damage to offshore oil production platforms and onshore oil and gas processing plants with wind speeds of 240 kilometers per hour. After the storm made landfall on August 29, about 88% of offshore oil production in the area remained closed, and more than 100 platforms were unused.
The Coast Guard has been conducting overpasses near the coast of Louisiana, looking for spills. It is providing information to federal, state and local authorities responsible for cleaning up the site.
Read | Hurricane Ida killed at least 50 people in the northeastern United States
The flight on Sunday found evidence of a new leak from an offshore oil well and reported that another leak that caused a continuous oil spill that lasted several miles was no longer active. It said it could not confirm the third report of oil near the rig.
Offshore oil producer Talos Energy Inc hired divers and a cleanup crew to deal with the Bay Marchand oil spill. The company said that the old pipeline damaged in the storm was obviously responsible for this.
Coast Guard spokesman Lieutenant John Edwards said the source of the Bay Marchand leak is still unknown. He said the team led by the Coast Guard “will look for all potential sources to ensure that any future risks are mitigated.”
Talos said that since it was first discovered last week, leaks along the Port of Fuljeong, Louisiana, have been significantly reduced. Spokesperson Brian Grove said that the company is not the owner of the pipeline and ceased production and operations in the area four years ago.
Read | After the passage of the Ada, the staff are working hard to control the oil spill in the Gulf.
The Coast Guard stated that an offshore oil well belonging to S2 Energy is discharging oil about 8 kilometers from the Bay Marchand site. The company told the Coast Guard that it has ensured the safety of the wellhead and no longer discharges oil.
S2 did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
