Coast Guard reports oil sheen after Vermilion 380 oil rig explosion
Mariner Energy reported ‘no visible oil’ after an initial fly over but the Coast Guard described a 100 mile wide oil sheen visible near the Vermilion 380 oil rig explosion site. The news of a growing oil sheen has caused panic and dread in many who are still reeling over the past four months of catastrophic damage from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
MSNBC reports that Mariner Energy may be facing a ‘BP style’ crisis after mounting fears that the nation may deal with another oil spill.
Mariner Energy released a statement (read Mariner Energy statement here) that described the volume of oil and gas the Vermilion 380 produced. During the last week of August, Vermilion 380 oil rig produced an average of 9.2 million cubic feet of natural gas per day and 1,400 barrels of oil.
If an oil spill results from today’s Vermilion 380 oil rig explosion there is a good chance that it will be much easier to contain. Clean up crews are prepared for deployment, equipment is on hand, and the Vermilion 380 was at a depth of 340 feet, not the 5,000 feet the Deepwater Horizon was at.
An investigation is underway to determine the cause of the oil rig explosion.
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