Automatic source timelineChocolate Bayou, TXTimeline updated 29 Sept 2026

Butylene Barge Aground; Chocolate Bayou, TX

NOAA initial notification: “On Friday, 31 October 2008 (Halloween), NOAA was notified by USCG MSU Galveston of a red-flag barge and tug grounding in Chocolate Bayou, TX. The barge is reported to be carrying 10,000 bbls of Butylene, a liquefied gas.”[1]

Follow the timeline Latest included source reportOriginal sources (3)

Latest included source report

Posted 3 Nov 2008

Latest source report

“The barge was reported to have been refloated on 1 Nov. 2008 with no reported release of hazmat. This entry will serve as the final report. Charlie Henry NOAA Scientific Support Coordinator” Current outcome is not independently verified by seahazards.[3]

NOAA report chronology

3 dated source records · 31 Oct 2008 to 3 Nov 2008
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NOAA incident record opened

Initial notification excerpt: “On Friday, 31 October 2008 (Halloween), NOAA was notified by USCG MSU Galveston of a red-flag barge and tug grounding in Chocolate Bayou, TX. The barge is reported to be carrying 10,000 bbls of Butylene, a liquefied gas.”

NOAA approximate incident area; not a vessel track

Initial incident area only. Dates are NOAA postings, not a vessel track. Playback advances every 5 seconds.

Milestone 1 of 3: 31 Oct 2008. NOAA incident record opened. NOAA approximate incident area; not a vessel track

  1. NOAA incident record opened

    Initial notification excerpt: “On Friday, 31 October 2008 (Halloween), NOAA was notified by USCG MSU Galveston of a red-flag barge and tug grounding in Chocolate Bayou, TX. The barge is reported to be carrying 10,000 bbls of Butylene, a liquefied gas.”

    NOAA approximate incident area; not a vessel track (29.216°, -95.213°)

    NOAA Office of Response and Restoration

  2. Initial Report

    Source report excerpt: “On Friday, 31 October 2008 (Halloween), NOAA was notified by USCG MSU Galveston of a red-flag barge and tug grounding in Chocolate Bayou, TX. The barge is reported to be carrying 10,000 bbls of Butylene, a liquefied gas. Initially the barge was reported to carrying Raffinate, a light petroleum distillate sometimes call “sweet naphtha.” NOAA was in process of providing tide, potential trajectory, and natural resources at risk support. Because Butylene will immediately evaporate, the greatest threat would be a potential fire-explosion situation.”

    NOAA IncidentNews · source report archive

  3. Final Report

    Source report excerpt: “The barge was reported to have been refloated on 1 Nov. 2008 with no reported release of hazmat. This entry will serve as the final report. Charlie Henry NOAA Scientific Support Coordinator”

    NOAA IncidentNews · source report archive
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Details in the record

Source record
NOAA IncidentNews 7919[1]
Dated source updates
2[2][3]

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Automatically assembled from NOAA's incident record and substantive Public Affairs or Situation Update posts. Dates are NOAA posting dates, which can differ from when events happened or original reports were published. Excerpts retain the source's wording and uncertainty. This account does not independently establish the cause, current outcome or safety of the area. NOAA coverage is selective; missing updates do not mean nothing happened. The map shows one approximate incident area, not a vessel track.

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Original sources

Timeline updated 29 Sept 2026. New reports and changes to this NOAA incident are incorporated automatically; this is not a live incident feed.

  1. 1.Butylene Barge Aground; Chocolate Bayou, TX ↗NOAA Office of Response and Restoration · 31 Oct 2008
  2. 2.Initial Report ↗NOAA IncidentNews · source report archive · 31 Oct 2008
  3. 3.Final Report ↗NOAA IncidentNews · source report archive · 3 Nov 2008

Related records in our archive

Original source text, preserved separately from this account.

NOAAORR-7919 NOAA response record
Butylene Barge Aground; Chocolate Bayou, TX.
Chocolate Bayou, TX.
1. On Friday, 31 October 2008 (Halloween), NOAA was notified by USCG MSU Galveston of a red-flag barge and tug grounding in Chocolate Bayou, TX. The barge is reported to be carrying 10,000 bbls of Butylene, a liquefied gas.
2. THREAT: CHEMICAL. COMMODITY: RAFFINATE, LIGHT PETROLEUM DIST.. MAXIMUM POTENTIAL RELEASE: 420000 GALLONS. TAGS: GROUNDING.
3. POSITION 29.216N 095.213W. NOAA INCIDENTNEWS 7919: https://incidentnews.noaa.gov/incident/7919
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