Louisiana Bears Brunt of Deepwater Horizon Oil Leak Damages

Governmental agencies and BP continue to struggle to control the oil leak which resulted from the explosion and fire aboard the Deepwater Horizon oil rig on April 20. Oil is coming ashore along the Louisiana coast and tar balls from the leak have been found along the coast from Louisiana to Alabama.

The depth of the leak continues to pose challenges. Admirals Allen and Landry, heading the Unified Incident Command (UIC) operation, have both made it clear that the government does not possess the remotely piloted underwater vehicles or the tools for them that enable work at that depth. The government is relying upon BP to provide the necessary equipment.

National Incident Command's Flow Rate Technical Group (FRTG) is using available data and modeling tools to attempt to make a more accurate estimate of the flow rate of the leak. An initial estimate should be produced by this panel sometime during the week of May 24-28. The rate has been a topic of much discussion in the press but it is considered by the UIC to be most useful in the long term. Current mitigation and containment efforts are not dependent upon the flow rate.

BP reports that the riser insertion tube it is using to contain and secure a portion of the leaked crude oil and natural gas continues to function. BP reports:

"the average daily rate of oil and gas collected by the RITT containment system at the end of the leaking riser has been 2,010 barrels of oil per day (BOPD) and 10 MMCFD of gas. The oil is being stored and gas is being flared on the drillship Discoverer Enterprise, on the surface 5,000 feet above."

The oil skimmers have salvaged 10.8 million gallons of oil/water mix. This mixture can be separated and most of the oil recovered for use. The UIC also reports that the two relief wells being drilled towards the leaking well are making progress, with one at over 10,000 feet and the other at about 8,500.

Louisiana is suffering the greatest economic and environments costs from the leak as of this report. Its National Guard has been actively involved in constructing barriers of various types for shoreline protection. They are using a device called a HESCO barrier to protect Bay Champagne. Other LANG troops were airlifted into the Tiger Dam area to help build an inflatable barrier, billed with water, to protect the marshes in the region. Engineers from the LANG have been using earth moving equipment and massive sandbags to fill in breaches between the offshore islands near Empire, Louisiana.

The State of Louisiana reports that 70 miles of coastline have now been impacted by the leaked crude oil. The Governor, Bobby Jindal, has expressed frustration with the pace of the Federal response and has ordered some actions be taken without waiting for the UIC. Sand booms are being constructed, dredging operations conducted, all in an effort to stop the oil slick at the offshore islands and not allow it to reach the coast.