NewsLeak

According to reports, ExxonMobil was recently forced to halt gas production in the Gulf of Mexico following a leak from one of its salt water pipelines off the shore of Alabama.

The leak, which was initially discovered on Tuesday, September 22, occurred in the Mobile Bay area of the Gulf, one mile south of Dauphin Island. ExxonMobil runs a number of subsea natural gas lines on the island, which has prompted the company to halt nearly 280 million cubic feet per day in natural gas production, a recent Reuters report relays.

"ExxonMobil can confirm that a subsea pipeline that transports salt water produced from its offshore natural gas wells in the area to its onshore gas treating facility has a leak," a spokesman said.

According to Reuters, the leaking substance is a combination of silt, sand and salt water, with some traces of hydrocarbons as well.

Exxon has been working on plans to repair the leak and natural gas production will continue to be shut down until they are done. The company has not issued a timetable yet regarding their work. 

According to a report from WSET-TV in Virginia, a high school was recently evacuated after a gas leak was detected inside the building.

A spokesperson for Campbell County Schools relayed that students and faculty at Rustburg High School were ushered out of their building after a gaseous odor was detected on Tuesday, September 20. Crews were immediately called to the scene to investigate the matter and attempted to detect the source of the leak.

The leak was initially detected at close to 11:30 a.m., after a propane smell entered into hallways. In addition to utility crews, the local fire department was contacted regarding the leak as well.

Students and faculty were sent home for the day and all evening activities were canceled. School officials expected the building to reopen on time the following day.

The leak is the latest in a long series of similar events that have plagued schools recently. Already this month, schools in North Carolina, Kansas and Georgia have been evacuated for similar circumstances. 

According to a report from the Coast Guard in New Orleans, oil is continuing to leak into Bayou Dupont and the north Barataria Bay nearby, with more than 2,000 gallons having already been collected, WDSU-TV relays.

The oil has been seeping into the region as a result of a series of leaks, which were detected near the Wilkinson Canal in Jefferson Parish.

Officials stated that response crews have already secured the source of the first oil leak, while the second leak has stopped discharging. A third leak was recently detected as well, but it, too, has stopped producing oil.

The Coast Guard Sector New Orleans has coordinated the relief effort to cap and contain the leaks.

According to the report, an orphaned wellhead is to blame for the leaks. The wellhead was last owned by the Cedyco Corporation. The Coast Guard, with authority provided by the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, has issued Cedyco to secure the leaking source and to conduct clean-up operations.

A trust fund has also been established to help provide money for all federal clean-up efforts.