Human caused ecological disaster
Details
Event title
United States - Abandoned and Leaking Well in West Bay; Pilottown, Louisiana
Source
Severity
Unspecified
Event date (UTC)
2026-02-19 00:00:00
Last update (UTC)
2026-02-19 00:00:00
Area range
-
Address/Affected area(s)
-
January 2026: The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) received notice of a leaking wellhead in West Bay, Louisiana. The wellhead is abandoned with no viable responsible party. It is releasing as much as 1 barrel of crude oil per day. USCG has placed a coffer dam around the wellhead and is in the process of planning repairs to the wellhead. Oil continuing to be released is contained within the coffer dam.
NOAA will provide support regarding consultations and potentially on-site support.