Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico: What We Know

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Divers looking for the source of a major oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico – one of several detected off the coast of Louisiana after Hurricane Ida – discovered three damaged pipelines near the spill, but dark conditions on the seafloor prevented the team from finding the source.

The Gulf of Mexico is covered with pipes, wells and other energy infrastructure, much of which is now obsolete as a result of generations of oil extraction.

Late Sunday, oil and gas producer Talos Energy, which was tasked with the cleanup, said the three damaged pipelines were not its own. The Coast Guard previously said the leak was thought to come from an old pipeline used by Talos, owner of former offshore charters in the area. The Houston-based company was conducting an intense cleanup that included a lift boat and other vessels.

The New York Times reviewed pipeline permits for the area and identified nine pipeline segments operated by seven oil and gas producers within a three-kilometre (1.8-mile) radius of the observed source of the spill. Some pipelines were abandoned years ago.

Times first reported spill and cleanup work on Friday. Here’s what we know so far about the disaster:

In a statement on Sunday, Talos Energy said it was not responsible for the spill off the coast of Port Fourchon in Louisiana. Instead, the company said its divers found a broken 12-inch pipeline that didn’t belong to Talos, which appears to have dislocated from its original location. The company said there are also two small abandoned pipelines in the area.

Talos ceased production in the region in 2017. The company said its divers and sonar scans confirmed that their wells were clogged and that the pipelines had been removed.

The company has moved a lift boat closer to the leak so divers can more easily reach the scene and verify the source, said a person who has direct knowledge of the cleanup but is not authorized to speak publicly about the effort.

Lieutenant John Edwards of the U.S. Coast Guard said he was notified of the divers’ findings. He said the actual source of the current is unknown.

Talos said the rate of oil reaching the surface has “slowed substantially” over the past 48 hours, and no new heavy black crude has been seen in the past day.

Lieutenant Edwards said the brilliance in the area was dissipating. However, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has reported potential leaks in a nearby area as well as the Gulf.

Lieutenant Edwards said the Coast Guard continues to monitor efforts to clean up and mitigate any threats to the environment in the wake of the storm.

Nine pipeline segments, both used and abandoned, are located near the leak site.

Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company, a subsidiary of pipeline giant Kinder Morgan, operated a 12-inch pipeline in the area. According to data from the Bureau of Ocean Energy and Management, the pipeline was established in 1966 and abandoned in 2012.

The data also shows that oil and gas operators Cantium, Cox Oil and Energy XXI GOM each operate six-inch pipelines near the spill. Data shows that Royal Dutch Shell, Chevron and privately owned Kinetica Partners also operate or operate pipelines in the region.

The companies did not immediately respond to requests for comment Monday morning.

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