Deepwater Horizon Incident, Gulf of Mexico

24 Hour Trajectory Map: Jump down to Current Trajectory Maps

on this page for full-sized versions.

As the nation’s leading scientific resource for oil spills, NOAA has been on the scene of the BP oil spill from the start, providing coordinated scientific weather and biological response services to federal, state and local organizations. More

Updated Daily

The ‘top hat’ containment cap installed on June 3 continues to collect oil and gas flowing from the MC252 well and transporting it to a drillship on the surface. The efficiency of the containment operation is improving, with oil collection reaching 17,000 barrels/day today. The transfer of crude oil from the drillship to the barge Massachusetts began the morning of June 9. When the process is complete, the barge will transport the oil to an onshore terminal. The transfer will free up space on the drillship to collect more oil from the well.

Work on the first relief well continues and has currently reached a depth of 13,978 feet. The second relief well is at 8,576 feet. The target depth for the wells is around 18,000 ft which should be reached in August. The relief wells should stop any remaining oil and gas flow from the well into the Gulf of Mexico.

Almost 3,600 vessels are involved in the response effort, including skimmers, tugs, barges and recovery vessels. Operations to skim oil from the surface of the water now have recovered, in total, approximately 383,000 barrels (16.1 million gallons) of oily liquid.

Response

In the nearshore zone, onshore (SE/SSE) winds are forecast to continue through Friday at 10 knots or less. Persistent southwesterly winds last week resulted in northward movement of the oil towards the Mississippi/Alabama barrier islands and westward movement along the Florida Panhandle. Models show alongshore currents becoming more westward over the next few days, inhibiting further eastward movement. However, coastal regions in Mississippi Sound west of Pensacola may continue to experience oiling on shorelines. The change to persistent southeasterly winds is also resulting in movement of oil towards Chandeleur and Breton Sound and the Mississippi Delta.

Offshore, satellite imagery analysis continues to indicate possible patches of sheen to the SE of the main slick. Scattered sheens and tar balls observed in these regions may be getting entrained into the northern edge of the large clockwise eddy (Eddy Franklin) that has pinched off the main Loop Current (LC). Trajectories indicate that some of these sheens may continue southward along the eastern edge of Eddy Franklin, whereas some may be getting entrained into a counterclockwise eddy to the NE of the main LC eddy. A USCG overflight off the west coast of Florida saw no oil. Satellite imagery from yesterday saw a possible sheen SE of the source. Uncertainty of this anomaly was medium to high.

Closures

NOAA Fisheries Service is not modifying the fishery closure in the Gulf of Mexico today. Any changes to the closure are announced daily at 12 p.m. Eastern at sero.nmfs.noaa.gov and take effect at 6 p.m. Eastern the same day.

Offshore Surface Oil Trajectory Map: Jump down to Current Trajectory Maps

on this page for full-sized versions.

Sea Turtles and Marine Mammals (effective June 9, 2010)

A total of 331 sea turtles have been verified from April 30 to June 9 within the designated spill area (The designated spill area for sea turtles and marine mammals is from the Texas/Louisiana border to Apalachicola, Florida). Between Tuesday, June 8, and Wednesday, June 9, nine turtle strandings were verified, including one dead oiled turtle from Louisiana, one live turtle from Louisiana that is being examined for evidence of oil, five dead turtles from Mississippi, and one live, unoiled turtle caught on a hook and line in Florida and released. Thirty heavily oiled sea turtles have been captured in the on-water turtle search and rescue operation by NOAA, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and other partners working under the Wildlife Branch of the Unified Command. Twenty- five of those captured turtles are in rehabilitation at Audubon Aquarium outside New Orleans. Two turtles were collected dead and three captured alive subsequently died at the aquarium. A total of 38 stranded or captured turtles have had visible evidence of external oil. These include the 30 captured turtles from the on-water operation, four live stranded sea turtles (two caught in skimming operations) and four dead stranded sea turtles. All others have not had visible evidence of external oil.

Of the 331 turtles verified from April 30 to June 9, a total of 277 stranded turtles were found dead, and 24 stranded alive. Three of those subsequently died. Four live stranded turtles have been released, including two that were found in Mississippi and released after rehabilitation in Florida, and one caught on a hook and line in Florida where it was released. There are 42 turtles in rehabilitation. Turtle strandings during this time period have been higher in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama than in previous years for this same time period. This may be due in part to increased detection and reporting, but this does not fully account for the increase.

From April 30 to June 9, 38 stranded dolphins have been verified in the designated spill area. Of this, 36 dolphins stranded dead and two stranded alive. One died on the beach and another that stranded in Florida was euthanized. So far, two of the 38 stranded dolphins had evidence of external oil. However, we are unable at this time to determine whether the animals were externally oiled before or after death. Since April 30, the stranding rate for dolphins in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama has been higher than the historic numbers for the same time period in previous years. In part, this may be due to increased detection and reporting and the lingering effects of an earlier observed spike in strandings for the winter of 2010. A stranding is defined as a dead or debilitated animal that washes ashore or is found in the water.

Assessment

NOAA’s Damage Assessment Remediation and Restoration Program is conducting a Natural Resource Damage Assessment. The focus currently is to assemble existing data on resources and their habitats and collect baseline (pre-spill impact) data. Data on oiled resources and habitats are also being collected.

Research part of larger effort to study spill impacts sub surface

NOAA’s independent analysis of water samples provided from the May 22-28 research mission of the University of South Florida’s R/V Weatherbird II confirmed the presence of very low concentrations of sub-surface oil and PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) at sampling depths ranging from 50 meters to 1,400 meters.

Weathbird II sampling stations.

Weatherbird II sampling stations.

High resolution

(Credit: NOAA)

The Weatherbird II samples came from three stations: 40 and 45* nautical miles to the northeast of the well head and 142 nautical miles southeast of the well head (see chart). NOAA’s analysis of the presence of subsurface oil determined that the concentration of hydrocarbons is in the range of less than 0.5 parts per million, and PAH levels in range of parts per trillion. NOAA announced its analysis in conjunction with the University of South Florida.

Along with its analysis for the presence of oil and PAHs, NOAA’s tests to “fingerprint” the Weatherbird II oil samples to the BP oil spill source concluded that:

Hydrocarbons found in surface samples taken at the Slick 1 source, 40 nautical miles northeast from the well head, were consistent with the BP oil spill source;
Hydrocarbons found in samples from Station 07—45* nautical miles northeast from the well head—at the surface, at 50 meters and at 400 meters are petroleum-derived but in concentrations too low to confirm the source; and
Hydrocarbons found in samples taken from Station 01, 142 nautical miles southeast of the well head, at 100 meters and 300 meters were not consistent with the BP oil spill source.
An additional analysis of samples taken from waters 1,250 meters deep and 1,000 deep at two stations closer to the well are consistent with the findings of the University of South Florida. Our preliminary results revealed petroleum hydrocarbons so highly fractionated that it was not possible to confirm the source of the oil.

“We have always known there is oil under the surface; the questions we are exploring are where is it, in what concentrations, where is it going, and what are the consequences for the health of the marine environment?” said NOAA Administrator Dr. Jane Lubchenco. “This research from the University of South Florida contributes to this larger, three-dimensional puzzle we are trying to solve, in partnership with academic and NOAA scientists.”

Other NOAA research missions that are conducting important research on sub surface impacts include the NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson, a 208-foot survey vessel, which is currently underway on a mission in the vicinity of the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Researchers are taking water samples and testing advanced methods for detecting submerged oil while gathering oceanographic data in the area’s coastal waters. The NOAA Ship Gordon Gunter, a 224-foot research vessel, returned June 3 from an eight-day oil detection mission in the vicinity of the BP Deepwater Horizon well head. During the effort, researchers collected water samples, conducted plankton tows, and employed echo sounders, autonomous underwater vehicles and other technologies to collect subsurface data.

NOAA's P-3 'Hurricane Hunter' Photo: NOAA.gov

In addition, NOAA’s P-3 “Hurricane Hunter” is deploying instruments to better track the movement of the Loop Current, and therefore improve our understanding of where the oil is moving at the surface and below the surface.

“NOAA’s analysis of the Weatherbird II samples shows that concentrations of hydrocarbons decrease with depth, with a notable exception of samples at 300 meters from Station 07, which warrants additional research attention,” said Dr. Steven Murawski, chief scientists for NOAA Fisheries. “Also, PAH levels are very low in all samples, with only five of 25 having reportable concentrations of the priority pollutant PAHs.”

“We are deeply concerned about what this oil spill means for the health of the Gulf of Mexico, and for the millions of people who depend on these waters for their livelihoods and enjoyment,” said Dr. Lubchenco. “NOAA is using all the scientific methods at our disposal to assess the damage, from satellites in space, planes in the air, boats on the water, gliders under the sea, scientists in the field, and information online.”

NOAA’s report from the Weatherbird II sampling is available online

Thad Allen is the Commander of this operation and has been very good at communication with the press, and the public. Thursday morning he was on the Diane Rehm Show, where he was asked many of the questions circulating through the media. This operation is moving and changing so fast, rumors can take off and fly fast and furious. Here is a link to the audio. I highly recommend it, because on this show he answers the question of the super tanker and why if it worked in the middle east, it is not being used here, and questions about media access and/or the lack thereof, and about citizen ideas, and about BP, and communications with Tony Hayward. He covered many questions that simply had not been directly discussed, but were questions we have all heard asked.

Many answers to be found in this radio segment.

Stay tuned...lots of changes for BP as a company, and for news from scientists with newly discovered information from BP regarding HD video of the spill. With a clear view of the oil spill BP had, but didn't share, the estimate of the total gallons per day has doubled. The company is being considered for criminal charges, their stock is dropping, and they are being mocked on Twitter. They are being bitten by Karma. The saying 'What goes around comes around' (if you believe in that ...which I do...) means that BP and it's untruthful CEO's are in for a tough ride.

Here are some related articles about Twitter, the oil plumes BP still is trying to deny exist, where the oil is washing up, and what it is washing up on... etc.

Could biotechnology fix the BP oil in the Gulf?

BP NOT HAPPY with public image on Twitter

Plumes of BP oil found by University of South Florida

Oil billionaire tired of PR problem...(awwww)

BP oil - hits florida beaches

BP oil: safety record in the US...are they safe?

Wildlife - a home covered in oil. How much should THAT cost BP on an itemized statement?

BP gets bill from U.S. government for 69 million dollars

On a personal note: If you are like most Americans, you are not good at waiting. We are action based people. We want to be helping. We want to go to the beach and pick up oily globs. We want to be out cleaning birds with toothbrushes to free their feathers from the oil that we humans 'spilled' in their home. BUT, the fact of the matter is that we can't. Some can, and will...but most of us have a reality that dictates we 'stay put'. There is something you can do to make it up to the pelicans, dolphins, turtles, and countless other creatures who have been harmed by this oil.

Are you ready? Gilbert? Mesa? Chandler? (your city name here)? You can do small things every day. Recycle, pay attention to what you use in your daily life, and see if you can't use things that use less and create less waste.

A few years ago, the 'carbon footprint' was a catchy phrase, but it is not used so much anymore. Lets bring that back. THAT is what we can do. A renewed committment to being 'greener" would be the best thing you could do to help.

So... Do you know how to recycle laptops, computers, and other electronics? (neither did I) Here is a link to help you know what should go where in terms of recycling things that need special handling because of chemicals they were made with. Most stores are chain stores operating in most cities.

Here is the first of many links to help you be greener. You look splendid in green...;)

Also...here is an article about how the Department of Defense it going 25% greener...

Department of Defense: alternative renewable energy use on the horizon