Officials are working round the clock to stop leaks from an offshore oil well drilled by a rig that exploded and sank last week. Officials are working round the clock to stop leaks from an offshore oil well drilled by a rig that exploded and sank last week. The New York Times reports the well is currently leaking oil at a rate of 42,000 gallons a day. Cleanup efforts, led by the Coast Guard, have been hampered by stormy weather in the Gulf. The team is working three plans simultaneously and acknowledge their efforts could take as little as two days or as long as months. From the NYT:
Officials determined through weather patterns that the sheen of oil and water, now covering 600 square miles, would remain at least 30 miles from shore for the next three days. But states along the Gulf Coast have been warned to be on alert. "We have been in contact with all the coastal states," Rear Adm. Mary E. Landry, the commander of the Eighth Coast Guard District, said at a news conference on Sunday. Emphasizing that the sheen was not estimated to hit shore anytime soon, Admiral Landry said contingency plans were being put in place. "Everyone is forward-leaning and preparing for coastal impact," she said.