Heavy Oil in the Water at Taylor Energy Site #23051 [Photos and Video]

Our partners at On Wings of Care and Florida State University have been out skytruthing and seatruthing heavy oil on the water around the downed Taylor Energy Platform #23051. We have been tracking this ongoing leak that has persisted in the Gulf of Mexico since 2004, but lately the oil has been particularly prominent. 

You can see aerial photos and photos from sea level here:


 and here:



You can also click here to download a recent Landsat satellite image that shows the oil slick.

NOTE: On the satellite image, the green streaks in the water are most likely a type of seaweed known as sargassum. But the bluish-grey smears SE of the Delta is oil.

We do not have the most recent NRC reports due to the shutdown of the public side of the NRC website. You can usually access the reports updated weekly from our temporary work-around here...

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Oil Spill in Delta National Wildlife Refuge - Controlled Burn Planned

From the National Response Center: (May 28, 2014)

**THIS IS AN UPDATE TO REPORT NUMBER 1084160, THE AMOUNT HAS CHANGED.** CALLER IS REPORTING A DISCHARGE OF APPROXIMATELY 15 BARRELS OF CRUDE OIL INTO A MARSH AREA INSIDE THE DELTA NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE FROM A 4" SUBMERGED OUT OF SERVICE FLOW LINE. CAUSE IS UNDER INVESTIGATION.

From The Times- Picayune: (June 2, 2014)

http://www.nola.com/environment/index.ssf/2014/06/authorities_work_to_contain_50.html#incart_river_default

By Ken Daley, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune

on June 02, 2014 at 8:37 PM, updated June 02, 2014 at 8:52 PM

Officials from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and U.S. Coast Guard announced Monday they were working to mitigate damage from a spill of crude oil within the Delta National Wildlife Refuge.

The agencies reported that a silver sheen of oil was spotted by an aerial overflight last Wednesday (May 28). An investigation determined the source of the crude oil discharge was a leaky bulk line buried under the surface of the marsh and that the Houston-based Texas Petroleum Investment Company was the responsible party.

Officials estimated the leak's volume as equivalent to about 50 barrels. They said an estimated 10 acres of fresh-water marsh in a remote section of the refuge was impacted, in an area located about 10 miles southeast of Venice in Plaquemines Parish. Access to the area was said to be difficult, with cleanup crews limited to flat-bottomed boats once inclement weather had passed.

Officials said a controlled burn would be ignited Tuesday to reduce the amount of oil in the marsh and accelerate cleanup operations. Refuge manager Neil Lalonde said airboats and scare cannons would be deployed to temporarily disperse wildlife, but that the controlled burn would be closely monitored and have minimal impact on avian, wildlife and marine species.

Lalonde said Octave Pass would be temporarily closed to mariners during the burn, but would be reopened after its conclusion.

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