Last week, a Shell oil facility leaked nearly 90,000 gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico, according to federal authorities. The spill has left a two-mile by thirteen-mile sheen in the Gulf, approximately 165 miles southwest of New Orleans. The spill was first noticed near Shell’s Brutus platform on Thursday morning.
A Shell spokeswoman said the leak likely came from a release of oil from subsea infrastructure, a line connecting four wells. Shell dispatched boats Friday to begin cleaning up the spill.
The spill occurred just days before a rally in Washington, D.C. to stop offshore drilling. The rally was designed to encourage the Obama administration to reconsider allowing offshore drilling in the Gulf and the Arctic.
Unfortunately, this isn’t the first oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. In 2010, a BP oil rig exploded in the Gulf, killing 11 men and releasing some 4.2 million barrels of oil into the water in what would become the largest offshore oil spill in history. BP was eventually ordered to pay a $20.8 billion settlement, along with another $4 billion settlement resulting from a federal criminal probe.
They attorneys at Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner can help you or a loved on a variety of issues associated with oil spills ranging from maritime injuries to financial problems. Contact us at (713) 222-7211 or toll free at 713-222-7211 for a confidential consultation.