Salvage operations resume for capsized oil barge in Gulf

Salvage operations resume for capsized oil barge in Gulf

Salvage operations resume for capsized oil barge in Gulf

   Salvage and clean-up operations have resumed for a double-hulled tank barge carrying five million gallons of fuel oil that capsized Nov. 14 in the Gulf of Mexico, once rough weather ended over the weekend.

   The 441-foot barge 'DBL 152,' owned by K-Sea Transportation of New York, is now 29 miles south of Calcasieu Pass, La., and 100 miles east of Galveston, Texas.

   Divers surveying the barge discovered a 2.5 foot-by-8-foot hole in the number 3 starboard cargo tank. The starboard tank, which held 563,000 gallons of oil, 'was damaged sometime after the barge capsized. It is not known how much oil has leaked from the tank, but divers located oil under the barge,' the Coast Guard said in a statement.

   The barge 'struck some debris while en route from Houston to Tampa, Fla.,' the Coast Guard noted, adding the cause of the incident is under investigation. A four-mile safety zone is in effect around the barge.