News and Media Releases
Media Alert: Eugene Island Incident
29/07/2009
Wednesday, July 29, 9 a.m. CDT
The release point of crude oil from the Eugene Island Pipeline System into the Gulf of Mexico was located by divers who found a crack in the system's 20-inch diameter pipeline. A repair plan is being developed.
An estimated 1,400 barrels (42 gallons per barrel) were released on the evening of Saturday, July 25, approximately 33 miles offshore and 60 miles southwest of Houma, La. The oil is not expected to reach the shoreline. As a precautionary measure, a shoreline assessment team has been activated and other on-shore resources are on standby.
The spill response is being managed by a unified command of Shell, U.S. Coast Guard and Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality with support from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Helicopter flyovers are conducted regularly to monitor the impacted area and direct on-water resources.
Two Marine Spill Response Center vessels are on-scene for oil-water recovery.
Aircraft "sorties" of chemical dispersants are being applied to the sheen. The Coast Guard has approved use of dispersants.
The Eugene system will be restarted following repairs and a thorough inspection. Top priorities during the response and restart phases are safety and the environment.
The Eugene Island Pipeline System has been in operation since 1976. It moves crude oil from offshore through a 20-inch diameter line to Caillou Island, La., then in a 16-inch diameter line to the Houma terminal, a distance of approximately 154 miles.
Shell Pipeline Company LP operates more than 1,200 miles of offshore pipelines, more than 600 miles of onshore pipelines, and over 10 terminals throughout the Gulf of Mexico and southern Louisiana with a capacity exceeding 1.5 million barrels of crude per day. We typically bring to market more than 1 million barrels per day (b/d) of crude from approximately 150 offshore production platforms in shallow and deep waters. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Shell Oil Products US, a unit of Shell Oil Company.
Impact area: Ship Shoal blocks 140 to 142.
Depth of water at the source is approximately 60 feet.
Eugene system 20-inch pipeline was inspected via "smart pig" technology in 2008-09 and 2003. Results from both inspections were "clean runs."
System has been in operation since 1976.
System has a capacity of 173,000 barrels a day, but was operating at about 100,000 barrels a day at the time of the release.
Owners of the Eugene system in addition to Shell: Mobil Eugene Island Pipeline Company, ExxonMobil Pipeline Company, Marathon Offshore Pipeline Company LLC, Chevron Pipeline Company, and Conoco Offshore Pipeline Company.
Shell Media Line: 713-241-4544
