UPDATE: Hurricane Alex Delays 3rd BP Oil Containment Vessel

30th Jun 2010 21:13

(Adds details on containment operations and background.) By Isabel Ordonez Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES HOUSTON (Dow Jones)--The U.S. Coast Guard said Wednesday a third containment system, which had been expected to increase, as of this week, the amount of oil being collected from a growing spill in the Gulf of Mexico, would be delayed until the first week of July due to bad weather caused by Hurricane Alex. Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen, the point man for the federal response to the oil spill, also said offshore oil-skimming efforts have been very limited due to high seas preceding Hurricane Alex, which was due to make landfall near the Mexico-U.S. border late Wednesday or early Thursday. "As soon as the weather permits we will be back on scene," Allen told reporters during a press briefing, referring to the oil-skimming activities. Most offshore skimming activities were halted Monday. Hurricane Alex is hitting the Gulf Coast well to the west of the spill site, which means that the ongoing efforts to collect oil from the damaged well can continue. The rough conditions created by the storm are, however, causing responders to adjust some of their plans, highlighting the difficulties that storms in the coming months could pose. BP PLC (BP, BP.LN), which was drilling the Macondo well when the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded April 20 and unleashed one of the largest offshore spills in U.S. history, has been capturing about 25,000 barrels a day from the well in recent weeks through the use of two containment vessels, the Discoverer Enterprise and the Q4000. A third vessel, the Helix Producer, was supposed to be in operation this week, allowing BP to raise its containment capacity to as much as 53,000 barrels a day. The Helix Producer is designed to withstand harsher weather conditions than the two already in operation. BP had said previously the Helix may not arrive in time if Alex became a hurricane. The vessel is expected to be connected July 7. Allen, who was due to meet Wednesday afternoon with U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar to discuss the impact of Alex on the containment operations, said the drilling of a relief well that is expected to permanently plug the spill in August is ongoing. Meantime, the Coast Guard also said that tar balls have been found on Texas beaches but that their origin is still being investigated. Allen, who said the storm surge from Alex could bring oil inland to marshes, said that BP will recognize oil from the spill brought onshore to houses and properties as legitimate claims. -By Isabel Ordonez, Dow Jones Newswires; 713-547-9207; [email protected] (END) Dow Jones Newswires June 30, 2010 16:13 ET (20:13 GMT)