Gulf of Mexico oil spill: what we know

Divers looking for the origin of a large oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico – one of many spotted off the coast of Louisiana after Hurricane Ida – discovered three damaged pipelines near the leak, although dark conditions on the seabed prevented the team from finding the source.

The Gulf of Mexico is covered with a tangle of pipes, wells and other energy infrastructure, much of which is no longer in use, due to generations of oil extraction.

Late Sunday, Talos Energy, the oil and gas producer who had been tasked with the cleanup, said it did not own the three damaged pipelines. The Coast Guard previously said the spill would come from an old pipeline used by Talos, the former holder of offshore leases in the region. The Houston-based company had carried out an intense cleanup involving a lift boat and other vessels.

The New York Times reviewed pipeline permits for the region and identified nine pipeline segments operated by seven oil and gas producers within three kilometers (1.8 miles) of the observed origin of the leak. Some of the pipelines were abandoned years ago.

The Times first reported on the spill and cleanup efforts on Friday. Here’s what we know about the disaster so far:

Where does the oil come from?

In its Sunday statement, Talos Energy said it was not responsible for the leak off Port Fourchon in Louisiana. Instead, the company said its divers found a broken 12-inch pipeline, not owned by Talos, that appeared to have been moved from its original location. There were also two small abandoned pipelines in the area, the company said.

Talos ceased production in the region in 2017. The company said its divers and sonar scans confirmed its wells were plugged and pipelines removed.

The company was pulling a lift boat closer to the leak so that divers could more easily reach the site and confirm the source, said a person with direct knowledge of the clean-up but who was not authorized to speak publicly about the efforts.

U.S. Coast Guard Lt. John Edwards said the agency had been made aware of the divers’ discoveries. He said the original source of the dump was unknown.

What is the condition of the spill?

The rate of oil reaching the surface has “slowed considerably” over the past 48 hours, and no new black heavy crude oil has been seen in the past day, Talos said.

Lt. Edwards said the glare in the area appeared to be wearing off. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, however, has reported a wave of potential spills in a nearby area, as well as in the Gulf.

The Coast Guard continued to monitor the clean-up and efforts to mitigate any threats to the environment in the aftermath of the storm, Lt. Edwards said.

Are there other pipelines near the spill site?

Nine pipeline segments, both used and abandoned, lie in the vicinity of the leak site.

The Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company, a subsidiary of pipeline giant Kinder Morgan, operated a 12-inch pipeline in the area, according to the permits. The pipeline was installed in 1966 and abandoned in 2012, according to data from the Bureau of Ocean Energy and Management.

The data also shows that oil and gas operators Cantium, Cox Oil and Cox Energy subsidiary XXI GOM each operate six-inch pipelines near the leak. Royal Dutch Shell, Chevron, subsidiary of Williams Companies Discovery Gas Transmission and privately held Kinetica Partners also operate or have operated pipelines in the region, the data shows.

The companies did not immediately respond to requests for comment Monday morning.