Oil Spill in Bay Lanaux; Port Sulphur, Louisiana

Port Sulphur, LA, USA | 2025-Jul-17

Initial Notification: On July 4, 2025, a kayaker in Bay Lanaux, Louisiana, reported to Plaquemines Parish Sheriff's office an oil spill from the “Christmas tree” section of a production wellhead of Well Construction and Completions (WCC). The discharge created a half-mile long sheen in the Bay Lanaux marshland. The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) became involved on July 17. More than 1 barrel of oil impacting water and vegetation was evident in the immediate vicinity of the well. The USCG requested NOAA presence at a July 19 on-site visit that included representatives from USCG, NOAA, WCC, the oil spill response organization, Louisiana Oil Spill Coordinator's Office, and Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality. The team observed no active discharge from the well, conducted a survey of the impacts to surrounding marsh, and made recommendations for future action.