Spills · mystery_substance

Mystery sheen ; west delta 80, la

NOAAORR-8574

issued: 2013-03-09 00:00Z
status: cancelled 2013-03-23 00:00Z
self-cancels: 2013-03-23 00:00Z
authority: NOAA OR&R
sea: Gulf of Mexico
position: 28.996, -89.747
source: incidentnews · first seen 2026-09-03 15:09Z

Original warning text

Mystery Sheen ; West Delta 80, LA.
West Delta 80, LA.
1. On 09MAR13, USCG MSU Morgan City contacted NOAA SSC in regards to a mystery sheen reported in West Delta Block 80, 21 miles southeast of Grande Isle. The sheen is reported as 5 miles by 5 miles with 70% dark blue/brown and 30% light rainbow. USCG has requested a trajectory from NOAA.
2. THREAT: OIL. TAGS: MYSTERY SUBSTANCE.
3. POSITION 28.996N 089.747W. NOAA INCIDENTNEWS 8574: https://incidentnews.noaa.gov/incident/8574

This area · spills & pollution incidents

1036 within 180 nm since 1970 · 35 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
8X38+5H dauphin island, al, USA2026-08-24
Mystery sheen at south pass 29; port eads, louisiana2026-08-13
Wcc oil spill, main pass 21; breton sound, louisiana2026-06-11
Tpic oil spill, main pass 81; gulf of america2026-06-10
Oil spill from out-of-service tank at tpic main pass 69 facility; louisiana2026-05-19

Season · when spills & pollution incidents happen here

month of issue, all years in the archive

Timeline · 5 messages since 2013-02-26 · closed 2013-04-17

Lake washington, la2013-02-26 → 2013-03-12
Near empire locks, la2013-02-28 → 2013-03-14
Mystery sheen ; west delta 80, la this message2013-03-09 → 2013-03-23
Smi 572 collision; bayou perot, lafitte, la2013-03-12 → 2013-03-26
On 03APR, uscg sector new orleans contacted noaa ssc in regards to citizen reports of “funny chemical…2013-04-03 → 2013-04-17

joined by proximity

Nearby now · within 120 nm

Crude oil spill and in-situ burn at tpic; south pass 24, pilottown, louisianaSpills · 24.8 nm
Uscg remote communication facility new orleans 29-53.00N 089-57.00W mf and hf dsc off airNav aids · 54.3 nm
Survey operations in progress until 15 sep by M/V island pride, M/V sanco swift and M/V olympic artemis in…Surveys · 114.1 nm
8X38+5H dauphin island, al, USASpills · 119 nm

Worldwide now

8 spills & pollution incidents in force · see all

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.