Natural gas is leaking in the Gulf of Mexico

An oil and natural gas platform located in the Gulf of Mexico is confirmed to be actively leaking natural gas. Work was being carried out to permanently plug the unused natural gas well when the crew reportedly lost control, resulting in the leak and an oily sheen being present in the water about 75 miles off the coast of Louisiana.

Five crew members were on board the Ship Shoal 225 B-2 - which is no longer used to produce crude oil and natural gas - when the well they were attempting to plug started leaking natural gas and condensate - a mixture of water and light oil. The crew members were evacuated from the platform as a safety precaution when the leaked substances were visible on the surface of the water and around the wellhead.

Talos Energy - the owner of the platform and the well - is working to plug the small leak at the earliest possible opportunity. The company has speculated that the leak occurred as a result of the age of the well tubing. However, because the well is no longer able to produce without an artificial lift due to a low flowing pressure, the leak is very small. The company has estimated that due to the low pressure level the well may only have released around six barrels of condensate within a 24-hour period.

The condensate has left a sheen on the water that is similar to that created by oil in water, but as it is only light Talos Energy believes that it will evaporate very quickly and leave no lasting damage to the area. The sheen is only visible over a four miles wide and three quarters of a mile long stretch of water, as reported by the US Coast Guard that has performed flyovers.

The leak comes at a time when effects are still being dealt with from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, which saw the death of 11 workers and over 200 million gallons of oil leaking into the Gulf of Mexico. Talos Energy has reported that the company is working with the Federal Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) and the Coast Guard to limit any environmental effect and to maintain safety for workers.