Coast guard to probe report of new Gulf spill: official (AFP) – 1 hour ago
NEW ORLEANS — US authorities will investigate reports that another oil spill is sullying Gulf of Mexico waters not far from the site of the BP disaster, the top official overseeing the cleanup and containment effort said Tuesday.
The Press Register newspaper based in the Gulf city of Mobile, Alabama, was one of several US news outlets reporting that a second spill had occurred at the Ocean Saratoga rig operated by the Diamond Offshore drilling company.
Asked about the spill, Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen told a press conference here: "We're going to get detailed information and we'll release a statement later on it.
The Press Register reported that a crew boat was seen spraying dispersant on a slick emanating from the drilling rig, which operates in deep water about 12 miles (19 kilometers) off the tip of Louisiana.
The newspaper said it had obtained a federal document showing that the leak, which it said has generated a 10 mile (16 kilometer) long oil slick, has been ongoing since April 30.
Media reports Tuesday said shares of the Houston, Texas-based Diamond were down sharply amid news reports of the leak.
