More oil leaks from capsized barge near U.S. Gulf coast
Divers have discovered a third breached cargo tank on the 441-foot double-hulled tank barge DBL 152 that capsized in the Gulf of Mexico off the Louisiana coast on Nov. 14. Oil is leaking from all three tanks, which together held 1,309,000 gallons of number-six fuel oil.
'It is not known how much oil has escaped the damaged tanks,' the U.S. Coast Guard said in a statement.
'There is no visible surface oil. Number-six fuel oil is heavier than water, and sinks to the bottom of the sea. Response teams are conducting multiple surveys to locate the submerged oil,' the Coast Guard explained.
The barge, which authorities believe struck debris from a submerged oil platform, is about 29 miles due south of Calcasieu Pass, La., and about 100 miles due east of Galveston, Texas. The platform was damaged during recent hurricanes.
All waterways in the area remain open, since the capsized barge is not obstructing marine traffic. The Coast Guard has put a four-mile safety zone in effect around the site.