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Crude Oil Spill News

12 Sep 2022

Amplify Energy to Pay $5M to Settle Criminal Charges over California Oil Spill

Crude oil is shown in the Pacific Ocean offshore of Orange County, Oct. 3, 2021. U.S. Coast Guard photo (Cropped)

California officials [last] Thursday said Amplify Energy Corp agreed to plead no contest to six criminal charges and pay nearly $5 million in penalties and fines in connection with a crude oil spill last year that killed birds and fouled beaches.The announcement was the latest legal effort to hold the Texas-based oil company accountable for a subsea pipeline leak that released some 558 barrels (25,000 gallons) of crude oil into the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Huntington Beach in southern California in October of last year.At a news conference broadcast live on the internet…

28 Aug 2022

Texas Firm to Pay $13 Million to Settle Charges Over California Oil Spill

A Texas oil company agreed to plead guilty to criminal negligence charges and pay nearly $13 million for a crude oil spill that killed wildlife and fouled southern California beaches, federal prosecutors said on Friday.Amplify Energy Corp repeatedly turned off and on a 17-mile-long subsea pipeline when it could not determine the location of the leak, according to plea agreements filed in U.S. District Court, Central District of California.The Houston-based company and two subsidiaries each agreed to plead guilty to one count of negligently discharging oil during the October 2021, incident. The pipeline was struck by a ship's anchor.The three firms "are required to make significant improvements that will help prevent future oil spills,” Acting United States Attorney Stephanie S.

10 Dec 2018

Crude Oil Spill Near Port Sulphur, La.

(U.S. Coast Guard photo)

The U.S. Coast Guard said on Sunday it is responding to a crude oil discharge in Rattle Snake Bayou, southwest of Port Sulphur, La.Coast Guard watchstanders in New Orleans received a report from the National Response Center that the well was reported to be leaking.It is unknown when the discharge began, and the amount discharged has not been determined. The well is rated to produce 5,476 gallons of oil per day.Responders are working to locate and secure the source of the discharge. The well's owner Hilcorp has contracted ES&H as an oil spill response organization.

29 Mar 2017

Crude Spill Hits PDVSA's Jose Terminal

Operations at Venezuela's main oil-exporting port Jose were hit by a crude oil spill on Tuesday, union sources and shipping agents told Reuters. A break in a pipeline that runs from the oil terminal to a single buoy mooring (SBM) facility near Venezuela's eastern coast would have produced the spill, according to four sources familiar with the incident. None of the sources could confirm the spill's magnitude but operators said there were no vessels docking at the SBM at the time of the incident. The 36-inch pipe can transport up to 32,000 barrels per day (bpd) of crude oil to the SBM facility, which is used by tankers to load oil for export. State-owned oil company PDVSA did not immediately respond to a request for information about the incident.

12 May 2016

Coast Guard Responding to Crude Spill from Shell Pipeline off Louisiana

The United States Guard said it is responding to a crude oil spill from a Shell subsea well-head flow line about 90 miles off Timbalier Island, Louisiana on Thursday.   About 88,200 gallons was reportedly released from the pipeline, the Coast Guard said, adding the source of the discharge was reported as secured.   The cause of the incident is under investigation, the agency said in a statement.   Shell was not immediately available for comment. (Reporting by Arpan Varghese in Bengaluru; Editing by Chris Reese)

14 May 2014

New Concept Eliminating Crude Oil Spill Spread

A new method is available which purports to stop the spread of major oil spills in offshore areas. It involves a floating ring-like device called Protection Ring Offshore Environment (PROE) that encircles the drilling rig. It has a curtain suspended vertically from the ring bottom that is designed to retain the oil spill. PROE is self-propelled and is submersible, meaning it is able to ‘chase’ oil spills if necessary. When not in use it can be submerged 50-ft. below marine surface traffic. It may also be divided into several parts in case the spill accumulates in several areas.

27 Jan 2014

Crude Oil Spill in Delaware River: Boom Deployed

Delaware River spill response: Photo courtesy of USCG

Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay watchstanders received notification of the spill at approximately 1 p.m. Monday (local time) after the National Response Center informed of an estimated 1,000 gallons of crude oil spilled into the Delaware River near Monroe Energy LLC, located about one mile south of the Commodore Barry Bridge. A boom is deployed to contain the oil while responders use skimmers and vacuums to remove the oil from the water. A pollution response team from Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay is on scene to verify safe and thorough cleanup operations.

01 Feb 2013

Coast Guard Response to Vicksburg Spill Continues

The unified command continues to respond to a crude oil spill in the lower Mississippi River near mile marker 436 in Vicksburg, Miss., Thursday. At 10:05 a.m. response crews removed fuel from the damaged barge MOC-12 after reconfiguring oil-pump equipment. Following completion of the oil removal operations the damaged barge will be inspected and prepared for transit to a maritime facility in nearby Vicksburg. The MOC-15 barge has been moved upriver from the MOC-12 oil removal operation and is waiting for transportation to a maritime facility.

30 Jan 2013

Lower Mississippi Oil Spill Update

The unified command continues response to a crude oil spill near mile marker 436 in Vicksburg, Miss. The tow-barge that is on scene has started removing fuel from the damaged barge MOC-12, which will be inspected and prepared for transit to a maritime facility nearby Vicksburg after oil removal operations are complete. “Despite the response crew efforts to contain the seeping oil, an unspecified amount has broken through the containment boom due to the difficulties of working on a dynamic and powerful river current,” said Capt. William Drelling, Federal On Scene Commander for the Vicksburg oil spill. Response crews have deployed 2,800-feet of boom to contain further oil release. Skimming vessels have recovered approximately 3,900 gallons of oil-water mixture since the incident occurred.

29 Jan 2013

Lower Mississippi Closure Due to Oil Spill

Tugboat 'Endeavor': Photo courtesy of Nature's Way Marine

US Coast Guard's unified command is dealing with a crude oil spill from a damaged barge in Vicksburg, Miss. The barge had earlier been damaged through contact with a bridge support while in tow, and the Mississippi River remains closed to all traffic for a 16-mile distance between mile marker 425 and mile marker 441 near Vicksburg. Currently there are 21 northbound and 34 southbound vessels affected due to the river closure. A lightering and salvage plan has been approved by the unified command and multiple response crews have been dispatched to begin removing oil from the barge.

28 Jan 2013

UPDATE: Coast Guard Responding Mississippi Allision / Spill

The unified command continues to respond to a crude oil spill in the lower Mississippi River near mile marker 434 in Vicksburg, Miss., Monday. Tank soundings indicated that the barge is still leaking product into the waterway. Containment boom has been deployed around the area at the leak and skimmers are being used to recover product. Personnel from Sector Lower Mississippi River, Marine Safety Detachment Vicksburg and the Coast Guard Gulf Strike Team from Mobile, Ala., are on scene and continue to assess the size of the spill and oversee cleanup operation. The tank levels are being constantly monitored for further leakage. The leaking tank contained approximately 80,000 gallons of light crude oil.

18 Mar 2010

Polar Tankers to Pay $588K for 2004 Spill

Polar Tankers Inc., a subsidiary of ConocoPhillips Co., has agreed to pay $588,000 to help compensate the public for environmental harm caused by the October 2004 crude oil spill into Puget Sound’s Dalco Passage near Tacoma. The payment would come under a proposed settlement agreement or consent decree filed this week in U.S. District Court, Western Washington Division involving Polar Tankers and the United States, state of Washington, Muckleshoot Indian Tribe and Puyallup Tribe of Indians. A consent decree in federal court makes no finding of guilt or innocence. The U.S. Attorney General’s action was made at the request of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the U.S.

21 Dec 2007

S. Korea Plans Ban on Single Hull Tankers

In the wake of the country's worst oil spill, South Korea reportedly plans to introduce a ban on single-hulled tankers, according to an AFP report. A drifting barge hit a 147,000-ton Hong Kong-registered tanker Hebei Spirit on December 7, holing it in three places, resulting in an estimated 10,900 ton crude oil spill. According to the AFP report, the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries is mulling moving up the country's single-hull phase out from 2015 to 2010.

03 Dec 2001

Coast Guard Investigating Crude Oil Spill

The U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Detachment in Kenai is investigating a minor crude oil spill that occurred this morning on the Dillon oil and gas production platform located in Cook Inlet. The source of the spill on the platform was a cracked fitting on the discharge side of a high-pressure pump used to re-inject crude oil into the well. The exact size of the spill is unknown, but reports from Unocal officials indicate that the maximum size of the spill was 2,310 gallons. Most of the spilled product did not enter the waters of Cook Inlet, but was contained on the platform. It is not known how much crude oil entered the water. Unocal, in conjunction with CISPRI, conducted over flights of the area and also dispatched the spill response vessel Sea Bulk Montana to the spill location.

30 Nov 2000

Oil Spill Closes Mississippi

The Mississippi River was shut to all vessels Tuesday night after the Westchester, a 13,000-barrel crude oil spill near the mouth of the river some 60 miles south of New Orleans, the U.S. Coast Guard said. A Bahamian-flagged crude oil tanker ran aground near the mouth of the river close to Venice, La., around 6 p.m. CST Tuesday, Nov. 28, and spilled about 13,000 barrels of Nigerian sweet crude oil, said Petty Officer Joe Patton. The river had been shut between mile markers 9 and 38 (a nearly 30-mile stretch), Patton said. The Coast Guard and other federal agencies are assessing the extent of the spill. Containment booms and about 30 vessels are involved in the clean-up, Patton said. Refineries were reportedly unaffected, as the cargo was destined for a pipeline terminal.

09 Feb 2005

Regulatory Climate for Emergency Response

The holidays this past year presented unique challenges for the salvage industry in the U.S. On Friday Evening, November 26 (Thanksgiving Weekend) the fully laden 60,000 dwt tanker Athos 1 struck an object on the bottom of the Delaware River causing a sizable crude oil spill and a serious list on-board the vessel. A few days later, on December 8, the fully laden 70,000-ton bulk carrier Selendang Ayu lost power off Dutch Harbor, Alaska. It grounded and broke into two pieces spilling both cargo and bunkers into the sea. As the Athos 1 is a tanker, it had a USCG approved Vessel Response Plan (VRP) which was activated immediately. The "Qualified Individual" (required to be named in her VRP by the USCG) activated her Spill Management Team within minutes.

21 Feb 2006

Arthur Kill Oil Spill Response

A Unified Incident Command (UIC) comprised of the U.S. Coast Guard (with coordination from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency), the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (NYC DEP), the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYS DEC) and Chevron Products Co. continue to respond to a crude oil spill in the Arthur Kill. The total volume of crude oil spilled is unchanged from the prior estimate of approximately 31,000 gallons. Approximately 96,000 gallons of oil-water mixture have been recovered and are currently being stored. Approximately 145,620 pounds of oil absorbents and other contaminated solids have been removed during the clean-up.

15 Feb 2006

Coast Guard Updates Oil Spill Response

A Unified Incident Command (UIC) comprised of Chevron Products Co., the U.S. Coast Guard, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (NYC DEP) and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYS DEC) continues to respond to a crude oil spill in the Arthur Kill. • The portion of the Arthur Kill north of Woodbridge Creek has been reopened to traffic. • The total volume of the crude oil spilled is estimated to be approximately 31,000 gallons. • Chevron is managing the spill response with oversight from regulatory agencies represented within the UIC. The UIC is also coordinating with other key stakeholders in the area.

29 Jul 1999

New Wave of Acquisitions

As the USCG heads into the 21st century, all the surface and air assets which perform missions in the Deepwater environment (beyond 50 nautical miles from U.S. shores) are approaching the end of their respective service lives. These missions typically require either extended on-scene presence, long transit distance to reach the operating area, forward deployment of forces, or a combination of these factors. In addition, the USCG is faced with a constrained budget. The USCG must therefore concentrate its scarce resources on an integrated system of surface, air, command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (C4ISR) and logistics assets to maximize operational effectiveness while minimizing life-cycle costs.

14 Jan 2000

Deterrence Sought in Spill Cases

To the dismay of some oil companies, as well as oil, freight, and passenger shipping companies, a growing number of environmental prosecutors are seeking - and winning - fines and punishments they insist are high enough to deter pollution from deliberate or even accidental oil pollution. The U.S. consistently leads the world in such prosecutions, although Canada, Australia, and a growing number of European nations are following suit. Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines (RCCL), the world's second largest cruise operator, has been the most prominent catch - paying more than $27 million in fines in the U.S. over the past two years. In court, RCCL…

17 Mar 2000

Shipping Not Affected By Louisiana Tanker Collision

Shipping operations at the Southwest Pass, off Louisiana, were not affected by a minor crude oil spill after two crude oil tankers collided on March 15, Coast Guard officials said. The spill took place approximately 40 miles south of Grand Isle, La., when a lightering vessel owned by American Eagle Tankers Inc., the Eagle Carina, collided with a Chevron oil tanker, the J. Dennis Bonney, while preparing to transfer crude oil from the tanker to the lightering vessel, company officials said. It was estimated that approximately 7,560 to 8,400 gallons of crude oil were spilled. The Coast Guard classifies an offshore spill of this volume as minor. There were no injuries resulting from the collision and no reports of impact to marine wildlife resulting from the spill, officials said.

16 Mar 2000

Small Spill After Tankers Collide Off Louisiana

The U.S. Coast Guard said that shipping operations at the Southwest Pass, off Louisiana, were not affected by a minor crude oil spill after two crude oil tankers collided on Wednesday evening. "The Coast Guard has established a safety zone around the incident area. Normal shipping operations will continue outside the safety zone," said the Coast Guard Marine Safety Office in Morgan City, La. The spill which took place approximately 40 miles south of Grand Isle, La., was not near the Louisiana Offshore Oil Port (LOOP) as earlier reported, said Mark Bugg, scheduling manager for the LOOP, the only deep-water U.S. oil port and a major conduit for the country's crude oil imports.