Spills · mystery_substance

Timbalier bay, la

Mystery Sheen; Timbalier Bay, la · NOAAORR-8432

issued: 2012-04-18 00:00Z
status: cancelled 2012-05-02 00:00Z
self-cancels: 2012-05-02 00:00Z
authority: NOAA OR&R
sea: Gulf of Mexico
position: 29.172, -90.449
source: incidentnews · first seen 2026-09-03 15:09Z

Original warning text

Mystery Sheen; Timbalier Bay, LA.
Timbalier Bay, LA.
1. On 18APR12, USCG Houma contacted NOAA SSC about a mystery sheen in Timbalier Bay reported by a good Samaritan helicopter. The sheen is reported to be 5mi by 3mi rainbow sheen with a 50yrd by 100yrd black area on the leading edge. The quantity, product and source are unknown. USCG is seeking a trajectory.
2. THREAT: OIL. TAGS: MYSTERY SUBSTANCE.
3. POSITION 29.172N 090.449W. NOAA INCIDENTNEWS 8432: https://incidentnews.noaa.gov/incident/8432

This area · spills & pollution incidents

1127 within 180 nm since 1970 · 40 in the last 12 months · 3 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
8X38+5H dauphin island, al, USA2026-08-24
Mystery sheen at south pass 29; port eads, louisiana2026-08-13
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 · 9 messages since 2012-01-20 · closed 2012-06-12

Grand isle, la2012-01-20 → 2012-02-03
On 02FEB12, uscg contacted noaa ssc about a ruptured natural gas pipeline 7nm south of timbalier island in…2012-02-02 → 2012-02-16
Near grand isle, la2012-03-14 → 2012-03-28
Near grand isle, la2012-03-17 → 2012-03-31
Timbalier bay, la this message2012-04-18 → 2012-05-02
Mystery sheen; south timbalier block 23, la2012-04-29 → 2012-05-13
Near mississippi river delta, la2012-05-07 → 2012-05-21
Mystery sheen west delta 117; 28nmi se of west side ofmiss r. delta, la2012-05-18 → 2012-06-01
Platform fire sp 93 b; gulf of mexico south of miss r2012-05-29 → 2012-06-12

joined by proximity

Nearby now · within 120 nm

Uscg remote communication facility new orleans 29-53.00N 089-57.00W mf and hf dsc off airNav aids · 50 nm
Crude oil spill and in-situ burn at tpic; south pass 24, pilottown, louisianaSpills · 61.3 nm

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