US Coast guard
Coast Guard to test substance floating in Gulf
A LA fire chief says a substance found floating in the Gulf of Mexico appears to be weathered oil. Grand Isle Fire Chief Aubrey Chaisson recently saw what looked like "emulsified oil" covering about a two to three-mile area floating in the Gulf of Mexico. The Coast Guard is testing the substance to confirm what it is and determine its origin. Full article.
Latest Gulf oil rig problem differs from BP spill
Stark differences exist between the oil platform fire in the Gulf of Mexico and the blast that led to the massive BP spill. Most notably: no one died and no crude gushed into the water. The Coast Guard initially reported that an oil sheen a mile long and 100 feet wide had begun to spread from the site of the blast, but hours later said crews were unable to find any spill. Houston-based Mariner Energy, did not know what caused the fire. Full Article.
Coast Guard: No oil leaking from platform fire
The US Coast Guard reported that daybreak brought no reports of oil leaking from an offshore oil platform that erupted in flames on September 2. Thirteen people were rescued after the fire on the Vermilion 380 platform owned by Houston-based Mariner Energy. Full Article.
Update: Mile-long sheen visible after Gulf oil platform explodes
The U.S. Coast Guard reported that a mile-long sheen is now visible where an offshore petroleum platform exploded and burned off Louisiana. Coast Guard Petty Officer Bill Coklough said the sheen, about 100 feet wide, was spotted near the platform owned by Houston-based Mariner Energy Inc. The fire on the rig is contained, but not extinguished. Mariner Energy deployed three firefighting vessels to the oil rig explosion site and one already was in place fighting the fire. All 13 people aboard the rig were found floating in the water in survival gear. Full Article.
