The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) and the U.S. Coast Guard are responding to a two mile by thirteen mile sheen in the Gulf of Mexico, approximately 97 miles south of Port Fourchon, LA.
The offshore oil and gas operator, Shell Offshore Inc., reported that a sheen was observed in the area of its Glider Field, a group of four subsea wells located in Green Canyon Block 248. The production from these four wells flows through a subsea manifold to Shell’s Brutus platform located in 2,900 feet of water.
Shell reported that production from all wells that flow to the Brutus platform have been shut-in. There are no injuries reported and no personnel have been evacuated. The total subsea release from the four wells is estimated to be 2,100 barrels of oil.
A Coast Guard Aviation Training Center Mobile HC-144 aircrew launched to conduct an overflight assessment of the spill.
A BSEE inspector conducted an overflight of the area and is currently on location at the Brutus platform. BSEE will lead the incident investigation and the Coast Guard will lead in monitoring response efforts.