An oil spill from Royal Dutch Shell’s offshore Brutus platform has released around 2,100 barrels of crude oil (88,200 gallons) into the US Gulf of Mexico, Global Research reported. The accident occurred near Shell’s Glider field, an underwater pipe system that connects four subsea oil wells to the Brutus platform, which floats on top of the water with a depth of 2,900 feet. The platform is located around 156km south of Port Fourchon in Louisiana.
According to an statement from Shell, the company and the US Coast Guard (USCG) have agreed to conclude skimming operations in their joint response –which mobilized 150 people– to the oil discharge of 2,100 barrels (88,200 gallons).
However, they informed that one vessel will remain in the area to assess potential environmental impacts from the release. So far there have been no reported impacts to the coastline or fisheries, and as The Guardian wrote, Shell said the oil is not expected to reach the shoreline. “The trajectory is in a westerly direction with no shoreline impacts anticipated at this time,” Shell said in an statement.
The US federal government has tightened up drilling regulations following the Deepwater Horizon disaster in 2010, which resulted in the deaths of 11 people, as well as the coating of thousands of seabirds and marine animals in oil. In addition, last April, the Obama administration outlined further measures to help prevent “blowouts” that result in oil spells, as well as requirements for operators to put in place several back-ups in case something goes wrong.
