Shipping channel remains closed after oil spill

A major shipping channel in the US has now been closed for three days as cleanup efforts continue, following the spill of around 4,000 barrels of oil. Some 24 vessels are attempting to contain the spill that occurred in the Houston Ship Channel on Saturday (March 22nd) when an oil barge collided with another vessel. 

The shipping channel is a major route used by large vessels for the transport of oil and petroleum products. It is used to travel from the Gulf of Mexico into Houston's port, meaning that its continued closure could have an effect upon oil prices and supplies.

The spill was caused by a barge - carrying around 924,000 gallons of bunker fuel oil - colliding with a 585-foot carrier ship. The barge was being towed by a tugboat from Texas City to Bolivar Peninsula at the time of the incident. Emergency crews worked to remove the remaining oil from the barge in order to stop any more of it leaking into the water.

Luckily only one tank that was being transported by the barge was damaged and began to leak, resulting in around 168,000 gallons of the thick oil to leak into the water, according to the US Coast Guard. The leak has been termed as 'moderate' by environmental and industry experts.

Flights are now being planned over the area in order to inspect the spread of the oil and to assess whether the shipping channel will be able to reopen, Bloomberg reports an email from Coast Guard watch supervisor, Tim Hicks, as saying. Any longer delays could cause serious issues within the oil industry.

Currently around 140 vessels are awaiting the reopening of the channel in order to continue with oil transportation. In order for the Houston Ship Channel to reopen, an uncontaminated lane for ship traffic must be ensured. The Coast Guard also needs to be positive that any traffic will not impact the continued cleanup efforts.