OIL MAKES LANDFALL

Heavy oil hits Louisiana shore, enters sea current
Matthew Bigg (w/Deborah Zabarenko, Jane Sutton, Pascal Fletcher, Anna Driver, Chris Baltimore, Jeff Mason, Ed Stoddard, Pascal Fletcher and Todd Eastham), May 19, 2010 (Reuters)

"The first heavy oil from a giant Gulf of Mexico spill [has] sloshed ashore in fragile Louisiana marshlands… and part of the mess entered a powerful current that could carry it to Florida and beyond.

"The developments underscored the gravity of the situation as British energy giant BP Plc raced to capture more crude gushing from a ruptured well a mile (1.6 km) beneath the surface. The spill is threatening an ecological and economic disaster along the U.S. Gulf Coast and beyond…"

From Oilism.com (click to enlarge)

"The marshes are the nurseries for shrimp, oysters, crabs and fish that make Louisiana the leading producer of commercial seafood in the continental United States and a top destination for recreational anglers. The United States has already imposed a large no-fishing zone…Meanwhile, the U.S. government's top weather forecaster said a ‘small portion’ of light sheen from the giant oil slick has already entered the Loop Current, which could carry the oil down to the Florida Keys, to Cuba and even up the U.S. East Coast.

"…[This] environmental disaster… could eclipse the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill in Alaska…BP said it is now siphoning about 3,000 barrels (126,000 gallons/477,000 liters) a day of oil, out of what the company estimated was a 5,000 barrels (210,000 gallons/795,000 liters) a day gusher [and outside estimates put much higher]…BP could begin injecting mud into the well as early as Sunday in a bid to permanently plug the leak…"

From DeepSeaNews,com (click to enlarge)

"Florida's tourism gained a respite when tar balls found on Keys beaches were shown not to come from the Gulf of Mexico oil leak, but officials said the $60 billion-a-year industry was already taking a beating from the month-old spill.

"To the relief of Florida officials, the Coast Guard said laboratory tests had shown that 50 tar balls found this week on the Lower Keys…were not from the Gulf spill…Local tourism authorities said damage had already been inflicted…The spill has also prompted rare talks between U.S. and Cuban officials in Havana, with forecasters predicting that oil could reach Cuban shores…Wildlife and environmental groups accused BP of holding back information on the real size and impact of the growing slick…"