NEW ORLEANS - The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) continues its oversight of the source control efforts for the oil release in the Gulf of Mexico, approximately 97 miles south of Port Fourchon, LA. All production to the Brutus platform remains shut-in and the source of the release has been secured.
BSEE investigators are on-site at the Brutus platform and are leading the investigation into the cause of the release. An initial damage assessment of the subsea infrastructure for the Glider Field was performed with BSEE's oversight and a segment of the subsea flowline was identified as the source of the release. BSEE staff will carefully review all repair plans prepared by Shell.
"BSEE is committed to ensuring environmentally responsible oil and gas operations on the Outer Continental Shelf," said BSEE Director Brian Salerno. "BSEE's full investigative resources have been deployed to identify the cause and assess any potential improvements needed to subsea infrastructure technology."
First reported Thursday by Shell Offshore, Inc., a sheen was observed in the area of its Glider Field, a group of four subsea wells located in Green Canyon Block 248. The production from these four wells flows through a subsea manifold to Shell’s Brutus platform located in 2,900 feet of water. BSEE remains in close coordination with the U.S. Coast Guard who serves as the Federal On Scene Coordinator.
