Spills

On may 1, 1991, the united states coast guard marine safety office (mso) port arthur, texas received reports…

Unknown Oil Slick; Cameron, Louisiana · Cameron, Louisiana · NOAAORR-6805

issued: 1991-05-01 00:00Z
status: cancelled 1991-05-15 00:00Z
self-cancels: 1991-05-15 00:00Z
authority: NOAA OR&R
sea: Gulf of Mexico
position: 29.686, -93.318
vessel: RESEARCH VESSEL GECO APOLLO
source: incidentnews · first seen 2026-09-03 15:09Z

Original warning text

Unknown Oil Slick; Cameron, Louisiana.
Cameron, Louisiana.
1. On May 1, 1991, the United States Coast Guard Marine Safety Office (MSO) Port Arthur, Texas received reports of a large oil slick in the Gulf of Mexico about 120 nautical miles due south of Cameron, Louisiana. An overflight confirmed the presence an oil slick measuring approximately 20 miles long by 1 mile wide near the sunken research vessel GECO APOLLO. The GECO APOLLO had been lost earlier in the year with 144,000 gallons of diesel fuel onboard. Wind at the scene was out of the east-southeast at 15 to 25 knots, swinging more to the east as the day progressed. USCG district 8.
2. COMMODITY: OIL.
3. POSITION 29.686N 093.318W. NOAA INCIDENTNEWS 6805: https://incidentnews.noaa.gov/incident/6805

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Timeline · 3 messages since 1991-05-01 · closed 1991-06-18

On may 1, 1991, the united states coast guard marine safety office (mso) port arthur, texas received reports… this message1991-05-01 → 1991-05-15
On june 4, 1991, the alliance operating consolidation and production platform located in the gulf of mexico…1991-06-04 → 1991-06-18
An offshore oil rig belonging to alliance oil collapsed off the coast of louisiana1991-06-04 → 1991-06-18

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Spills

Oil and chemical spills, groundings and vessel casualties with a pollution threat: NOAA IncidentNews responses since 1957, and spill-response areas broadcast as navigational warnings. All current spills & pollution incidents →

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