Production at Royal Dutch Shell’s Brutus tension-leg platform in the Gulf of Mexico has resumed as the company and the U.S. Coast Guard continue to respond to an 88,200-gal. crude oil spill that was discovered May 12.
In a statement on Sunday, Shell reported that the sheen “has maintained a westerly trajectory with no shoreline impacts anticipated at this time.” The Coast Guard said Sunday that there had been no reports of affected wildlife.
Shell said that the U.S. Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) has authorized it to begin repairs on the Gilder subsea tie-back, which remains shut in, along with other subsea tie-backs in the area.
The BSEE is on-site at Brutus investigating the cause of the release, the agency reported on Friday.
Skimming of the release oil continued through the weekend, including overnight using infrared technology, Shell said. The company has contracted with the Marine Spill Response Corporation, Herndon, Va., and New Orleans-based Clean Gulf Associates for cleanup and containment operations.
The Coast Guard said Monday that skimming vessels had recovered more than 84,000 gals. of oily-water mixture since response efforts began on May 12.
Late Monday afternoon, Shell and the Coast Guard announced that skimming activities would conclude, with one vessel remaining on scene to assess potential environmental impact from the discharged oil.
The Gilder oil field is approximately 90 miles south of Timbalier Island, La., where four wells feed to the Brutus TLP in 2,900’ of water.
