Spills · oil

Off louisiana coast

Mystery Spill ; Off Louisiana Coast · NOAAORR-7859

issued: 2008-07-18 00:00Z
status: cancelled 2008-08-01 00:00Z
self-cancels: 2008-08-01 00:00Z
authority: NOAA OR&R
sea: Gulf of Mexico
position: 28.444, -91.678
source: incidentnews · first seen 2026-09-03 15:09Z

Original warning text

Mystery Spill ; Off Louisiana Coast.
Off Louisiana Coast.
1. At 1400 (local time) NOAA OR&R/ERD was notified of a mystery slick/sheen in the Gulf of Mexico south of Atchafalaya Bay at 28° 26.61' N, 091° 40.67' W. This is about 60 nm south of Marsh I. The slick/sheen is reported to be 2 miles by 2 miles of rainbow sheen and estimated to be about 400 gallons.
2. THREAT: OIL. MAXIMUM POTENTIAL RELEASE: 400 GALLONS.
3. POSITION 28.444N 091.678W. NOAA INCIDENTNEWS 7859: https://incidentnews.noaa.gov/incident/7859

This area · spills & pollution incidents

1236 within 180 nm since 1970 · 40 in the last 12 months · 2 in force now

Crude oil spill and in-situ burn at tpic; south pass 24, pilottown, louisiana2026-08-26
Intermittent oil sheen; flower garden banks national marine sanctuary, bright bank2026-08-25
Mystery sheen at south pass 29; port eads, louisiana2026-08-13
Release of aluminum phosphide in M/V thorco liva; port arthur, texas2026-07-28
Mystery oiled shoreline at holly beach; cameron parish, louisiana2026-07-10
Johnson bayou, la2026-06-17

Season · when spills & pollution incidents happen here

month of issue, all years in the archive

Timeline · 2 messages since 2008-07-18 · closed 2008-08-03

Off louisiana coast this message2008-07-18 → 2008-08-01
Vermillion block 272, unknown sheen; offshore louisiana2008-07-20 → 2008-08-03

joined by proximity

Nearby now · within 120 nm

Intermittent oil sheen; flower garden banks national marine sanctuary, bright bankSpills · 92.2 nm
Survey operations in progress until 15 sep by M/V island pride, M/V sanco swift and M/V olympic artemis in…Surveys · 104.7 nm

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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 →

Not for navigation. This is a re-rendering of an official navigational warning for awareness; mariners must use official NAVAREA broadcasts and their national MSI service.