Responders working 'aggressively' on Gulf spill

Oil spill: marine collision causes oil to spew

USCG

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Kathrine Schmidt , Luke Johnson

 27 February 2013 20:22 GMT

Swift Energy and the US Coast Guard are "aggressively attacking" a spill from a previously shut-in Gulf of Mexico wellhead after it was struck by a crew boat, authorities said late on Wednesday.

Well owner Swift Energy has hired a barge to fix the wellhead, which is leaking oil and water at a rate of about 20 barrels (840 gallons) per day, the Coast Guard said in a statement.

About 1800 feet of boom has been laid to contain pollution and two skimmers are working on scene.

"We’ve quickly mobilised boom to contain, skimmers to clean up spilt oil and operations to plug the well are our top priority," Peter Gautier, Captain of the Port for Coast Guard Sector New Orleans, said in a statement.

"Well control…

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