How much oil was spilled from offshore oil and gas facilities during last years storm season?
The USCG identified approximately100 spills from Hurricane Katrina and 160 spills from Hurricane Rita in State and Federal offshore waters. The USCG classified almost all of these spills in Federal and State offshore waters as “Minor” by the USCG. The USCG defines “Minor” as less than 10,000 gallons (238 barrels), but most of these spills were estimated to be less than 1 barrel. There were no accounts of Federal OCS spills that reached the shoreline or oiled birds or mammals. In addition, there were no large volumes of oil discovered offshore to be collected or cleaned up. MMS currently estimates approximately 19,000 bbl of crude oil and refined petroleum products were spilled from platforms and pipelines in Federal OCS waters as a consequence of the 2005 storms, all as a result of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. 4. How is MMS working with other federal agencies in preparing for this years storm season? The MMS has met with both the USCG and the DOE during the off-season to ensure proper
