NEW ORLEANS — The Coast Guard discovered Saturday that oil is leaking from the damaged well that fed a massive rig that exploded last week off Louisiana’s coast, while bad weather halted efforts to clean up the mess that threatens a fragile marine ecosystem.
As recently as Friday, the Coast Guard said no oil appeared to escaping from the well head on the ocean floor. Rear Adm. Mary Landry said the leak was a new discovery but could have begun when the rig sank Thursday, two days after the initial explosion.
“This is a very serious spill, absolutely,” Landry said.
Coast Guard and company officials estimate that as much as 1,000 barrels of oil is escaping each day after studying information from remotely operated vehicles and the size of the oil slick surrounding the blast site. The sheen of oil stretched 20 miles by 20 miles Saturday — about 25 times larger than it appeared to be a day earlier, Landry said.
BP PLC, which leased the rig and is taking the lead in the cleanup, says it is studying how to stop the leak.
The bad weather rolled in Friday, bringing with it strong wind, clouds and rain that interrupted efforts to contain the oil spill. Crews have retrieved about 1,052 barrels of oily water, Coast Guard Petty Officer John Edwards said. The Associated Press
