MMS United States Department of the Interior

Offshore Minerals Management home page
Safety-Related Information
Offshore Stats and Facts
OCS-Related Incidents
spacer
Abbreviations and Acronyms
Collisions
Crane Incidents
Fatalities
Fires/Explosion
Incident Reporting
Incident Statistics Summaries
Incidents 1996-2005
Injuries
Loss of Well Control
Other Incidents
Pipeline Incident
Spills 1996-2008
Spills 1994-1995
spacer
Privacy Act/Disclaimers
Minerals Commodities Revenue Statistics
spacer

 Content:
   
Cheryl Anderson

 Pagemasters:
    OMM Web Team

spacer

  Gulf of Mexico Region

Spills ≥ 50 Barrels (2,100 gallons)1998

January 22, 1998 - Amoco Pipeline Company

Pollution: 800 bbl Crude Oil/ Condensate: 800 bbl Crude Oil
Refined Petroleum: None Synthetic Oil Fluids*: None
Chemicals: None Events: Pollution
MMS Investigation Report: Pollution Report Only Activity: Development/Production
Lease: G02366 Operation: Pipeline
Area: High Island Cause: Probable Anchor Damage to Pipeline
Block: A474 Distance to Shore: 61 Miles
Platform: A Water Depth: 150 Feet
Pipeline Segment: 04879 Pipeline Diameter: 14 Inches

Remarks: Submerged oil pipeline spill from the 14" main line from HIA-374 to shore. Pipeline had 43" rupture from large object, possibly an anchor. Pipeline system and 25 platforms were shut in. Replaced 108.5' of pipe and covered with 1" cement. Booms, skimmers and dispersants were used, no contacts to shore.

NRC Report: 420945


 January 26, 1998 - Penzoil Exploration & Prod. Co./Sea Robin

Pollution: 1,211 bbl Crude Oil/ Condensate: 1,211 bbl Condensate
Refined Petroleum: None Synthetic Oil Fluids*: None
Chemicals: None Events: Pollution
MMS Investigation Report: Completed Activity: Development/Production
Lease: G02062 Operations: Pipeline/ Motor Vessel
Area: East Cameron Cause: Human Error,      Anchor Damage
Block: 334 Distance to Shore: 105 Miles
Platform: D Water Depth: 264 Feet
Pipeline Segment: 11007 Pipeline Diameter: 16 Inches

Remarks: Sea Robin's 16" gas & condensate pipeline from WC 580A platform to a subsea tie into Sea Robin's 30" pipeline in EC 334 was damaged by the M/V "Sea Aker Huskey" anchor during a man overboard rescue operation. The pipeline leaked gas and condensate. Repaired by removing 250' of pipe and replacing with 232' pipe and flanges (3 ball flanges, 2 flexiforge flanges, 3 hard flanges). Sand bags and concrete mats were placed over the repaired area.

NRC Report: 421412


April 6, 1998 - Marathon Oil Company

Pollution: 1,012 bbl Crude Oil/ Condensate: None
Refined Petroleum: None Synthetic Oil Fluids*: None
Chemicals: 1,012 bbl Zinc Bromide Events: Pollution
MMS Investigation Report: Pollution Report Only Activity: Exploration
Lease: G12136 Operation: Completion
Area: Ewing Bank Cause: Human Error
Block: 873 Distance to Shore: 61 Miles
Rig: H&P 106 Water Depth: 1,271 Feet

Remarks: During the transfer of chemicals from the MV Ensco Captain to the rig, a valve to the processing mud pit centrifugal pump was inadvertently left open. At the same time, the overboard dump valves in the mud pits had been left open after a prior clean up job, and the chemicals were mistakenly released from the mud pit tanks into Gulf waters.

NRC Report: 43162


 April 29, 1998 - Mobil Oil Exploration & Producing Southeast

Pollution: 100 bbl Crude Oil/ Condensate: None
Refined Petroleum: 100 bbl Diesel Synthetic Oil Fluids*: None
Chemicals: None Events: Pollution
MMS Investigation Report: Completed Activity: Development/Production
Lease: G04940 Operation: Production
Area: Green Canyon Cause: Weather, Equipment Failure, Human Error, Valve Open
Block: 18 Distance to Shore: 92 Miles
Platform: A Water Depth: 700 Feet

Remarks: A rental portable pump skid set on the east boat landing was being used to provide cooling water to the platform. A 1" hose had been run to the diesel system, the hose was tied to the handrail when not in use. During the night, the weather turned bad with 15-20' seas that washed over the landing and broke off the hose nozzle. The isolation valve had not been turned off after the last use.

NRC Report: 434563


 June 29, 1998 - Shell Deepwater Development Inc.

Pollution: 85 bbl Crude Oil/ Condensate: None
Refined Petroleum: None Synthetic Oil Fluids*: None
Chemicals: 85 bbl Ethylene Glycol Events: Pollution
MMS Investigation Report: Completed Activity: Development/Production
Lease: G05862 Operation: Pipeline
Area: Mississippi Canyon Cause: Equipment Failure
Block: 686 Distance to Shore: 75 Miles
Platform: Mensa Well A-1 Water Depth: 5,292 Feet

Remarks: Shell discovered a leak had developed in their ethylene glycol flowline to the 1 well for Mensa. It was determined that 85 bbl of glycol was lost. They found leak at fitting on wellhead and isolated it.

NRC Report: 444025


July 13, 1998 - Shell Deepwater Development Inc.

Pollution: 54.8 bbl Crude Oil/ Condensate: None
Refined Petroleum: None Synthetic Oil Fluids*: None
Chemicals: 54.8 bbl Paraffin Inhibitor Events: Pollution
MMS Investigation Report: Completed Activity: Development/Production
Lease: G06896 Operation: Production
Area: Viosca Knoll Cause: Poor Design On Tank Overflow Line
Block: 956 Distance to Shore: 80 Miles
Platform: A - Ram Powell Water Depth: 3,214 Feet

Remarks: While filling the paraffin storage tank (15,000 gallon) from several 550-gallon " tote" tanks, a pressure safety high (PSH) alarm on the sump sounded. An investigation found the paraffin storage tanks overflowed approximately 2,300 gallons. The paraffin inhibitor tank overflow line design was flawed due to the fact it did not have a siphon break in the overflow line and a bleed ring installed. The overflow line goes down into the tank within 3" from the bottom of the tank. The blanket gas had previously entered the overflow line and had become compressed between a column of paraffin inhibitor at the top of the overflow line and the rupture disk at the top of the tank. This resulted in over five pounds of pressure, which ruptured the five pound rupture disk in the top of the overflow line on the tank top.

NRC Report: 445732


 July 24, 1998 - Amerada Hess Corporation

Pollution: 170 bbl Crude Oil/ Condensate: None
Refined Petroleum: None Synthetic Oil Fluids*: None
Chemicals: 170 bbl Zinc Bromide Events: Pollution
MMS Investigation Report: Pollution Report Only Activity: Exploration
Lease: G07462 Operation: Completion
Area: Garden Banks Cause: Faulty Valve,      Human Error
Block: 260 Distance to Shore: 108 Miles
Rig: Ensco 23 Water Depth: 1,648 Feet

Remarks: During the process of draining drilling fluid from the mud tank no. 1, it was discovered by the mud engineer that zinc bromide level being maintained in mud tanks no. 2 and no. 3 was receding due to a faulty gate valve. Both tank no. 2 and no. 3 are connected with an equalizing line, which allowed both tanks to drain due to the faulty valve that is located on mud tank no. 2. This manual valve is connected to a common drain line from the other four mud tanks that discharge overboard. By the time the leak was detected it was estimated that 170 bbl of zinc bromide (15.8 ppg) had escaped into the Gulf waters. The faulty valve was repaired.

NRC Report: 447477


 July 29, 1998 - Amerada Hess Corporation

Pollution: 88 bbl Crude Oil/ Condensate: None
Refined Petroleum: None Synthetic Oil Fluids*: None
Chemicals: 88 bbl Zinc Bromide Events: Pollution
MMS Investigation Report: Pollution Report Only Activity: Exploration
Lease: G07462 Operation: Completion
Area: Garden Banks Cause: Hose Rupture,
Human Error
Block: 260 Distance to Shore: 108 Miles
Rig: Ensco 23 Water Depth: 1,648 Feet

Remarks: Personnel were in the process of transferring zinc bromide (15.8 ppg) from a mud holding tank, when a rubber hose they were using ruptured. It was reported that 88 bbl discharged into the Gulf. No block valve was installed on the hose departing the outlet of the tank to isolate flow once the hose ruptured. The hose was replaced, a valve was installed on the tank outlet to prevent reoccurrence.

NRC Report: 448012


September 29, 1998 - Chevron Pipe Line Company

Pollution: 8,212 bbl Crude Oil/ Condensate: 8,212 bbl Crude Oil
Refined Petroleum: None Synthetic Oil Fluids*: None
Chemicals: None Events: Pollution
MMS Investigation Report: Pollution Report Only Activity: Development/Production
Lease: G02177 Operation: Pipeline
Area: South Pass Cause: Mud Slide From Hurricane Cracked Pipeline
Block: 38 Distance to Shore: 6 Miles
Platform:   Water Depth: 108 Feet
Pipeline Segment: 05625 Pipeline Diameter: 10 Inches

Remarks: The pipeline system, which originates in SP 49, consists of a 10" pipeline 156,000' in length of which 125,000' are in OCS waters. The system has an operating capacity of 59,000 bbl per day. Four primary production platform are connected. The platforms were shut in for the hurricane on September 28, and began to restore operations September 29. The gas & oil pipeline was parted 3' by mud slide caused by Hurricane Georges. Pipeline cracked along a weld. Deviations from established other-than-normal (i.e., after a hurricane) startup operating procedures contributed to the failure to identify the leak promptly. One of the platforms was put back into production at night (so that oil in the water could not be visually seen from platforms or overflights until the next day). The line was repaired by installing a 20' spool section. A small amount of oil impacted the shore line.

OCS Report: MMS 99-0053, Some Contacts To Land

NRC Report: 458019


Privacy | Disclaimers | Accessibility | Topic IndexFOIA


Last Updated: 06/24/08, 02:42 PM

Top of Page