Settlement Finalized from MC209 Pipeline Spill in Gulf of Mexico Federal Waters
JUNE 12, 2023 — On June 6, 2023, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana entered the consent decree finalizing settlement between NOAA and LLOG Exploration Offshore, LLC. The settlement, valued at $3.1 million, resolves LLOG Exploration Offshore, LLC of their liability for natural resource injuries resulting from a pipeline spill that discharged oil into the deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico, approximately 70 miles southeast of Venice, Louisiana.
The proposed settlement was released on April 19, 2023 for public comment until May 25, 2023; no comments were received.
The spill happened on October 11-12, 2017 from an LLOG Exploration Offshore, LLC pipeline in Mississippi Canyon Block 209 in the Gulf of Mexico.The spill occurred at a depth of approximately 1,500 meters, and the volume of the spill is estimated at 16,000 barrels (672,000 gallons – or roughly the size of an Olympic swimming pool). This was a substantial release of oil into the marine environment.
Following the settlement, NOAA will publish a plan for public comment that will identify potential restoration projects to offset the injuries sustained from the spill. Settlement funds will be used for restoration planning and implementation activities and to reimburse NOAA's costs associated with the injury assessment.