Oil Recovery Ops in Houston Ship Channel

The oil spill responders continue clean up efforts today after the 458-ft tank vessel Chemical Supplier allided with a barge and spilled approximately 10,500 gallons of oil in the Houston Ship Channel early on Sept. 25.

Responders, as of 5:00 p.m., recovered approximately 4,280 gallons of oil.

The following resources are being used during the response effort:
•    15,000 feet of containment boom (currently deployed)
•    3 workboats
•    6 roll off boxes (dumpsters)
•    4 vacuum tanks
•    1 helicopter
•    2 frac tanks (large storage tanks)
•    2 drum skimmers (used to extract oil from the water)

The following response organizations are working with the Coast Guard in the oil response effort:
•    T&T Marine Salvage
•    United States Environmental Services
•    Phoenix Environmental
•    Oil Mop
•    Garner Environmental

The source of the leak was secured at approximately 1:25 a.m. Sept. 26. The fuel tank contained an estimated 22,500 gallons of fuel oil.

The Houston Ship Channel remains closed to all vessel traffic north of the I-610 bridge.

Watchstanders from Sector Houston-Galveston received a call at approximately 9 p.m. Friday, Sept. 25, 2009, reporting that the Chemical Supplier allided with Buffalo Barge #251 in the vicinity of Brady's Island near the I-610 bridge.  The Chemical Supplier was headed inbound attempting to turn around in the ship channel when it struck the barge.

The Chemical Supplier has a 2-ft by 4-ft gash in the number-3 fuel tank, approximately 5-feet above the water line.  Upon alliding with the barge, crewmembers aboard the Chemical Supplier began transferring the #6 heavy fuel oil from the ruptured fuel tank to an empty fuel tank on board.

The unified command mitigating the oil spill includes: the U.S. Coast Guard, Texas General Land Office, O'Briens Response Management, Houston Fire Department and MTI Network Oil spill responders. The Unified Command is located at the U.S. Coast Guard sector in Galena Park.