Shell and the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) are jointly responding to an oil sheen created by a discharge from a flow line at the Glider Field in the Gulf of Mexico.

According to Shell, the sheen has maintained a westerly trajectory with no shoreline impacts anticipated at this time,, and Shell has approval from the U.S. Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) to begin repairs at Glider. There have been no reports of injury.

Shell reports that approximately 88,200 gallons of oil leaked from the line on Thursday, 12 May 2016. Shell also reports that by using a remotely operated vehicle (ROV), they found that a flow line was the source of the leak. The flow line is connected to four wells and Shell's Brutus platform. According to Shell, the leak is contained and the wells are shut in. The company says the skimmers will pick up what oil they can from the Gulf's surface.

The Glider field is located approximately 90-miles south of Louisiana, and production remains shut-in. First reported on 12 May by Shell Offshore, Inc., a sheen was observed in the area of its Glider Field, a group of four subsea wells located in Green Canyon Block 248. The production from these four wells flows through a subsea manifold to Shell’s Brutus platform located in 2,900 feet of water. BSEE remains in close coordination with the U.S. Coast Guard who serves as the Federal On Scene Coordinator.

Joint efforts have recovered approximately 1,229 barrels (or about 51,000 gallons) of oily-water mixture. Investigators with the U.S. Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement are on site and leading an investigation into the cause of the release. Five boats were dispatched to skim oil off the surface of the Gulf.

Shell also reports that production from the nearby Brutus field has resumed. Glider and other subsea tieback fields remain shut-in. Skimming of the sheen continued overnight using infrared technology with support from aerial resources.