Boat Collision Causes Small Oil Spill Near New Orleans

A boat collided with an inactive oil and gas well near New Orleans on Tuesday night, causing a small oil spill, the U.S. Coast Guard and the operator of the well said on Wednesday. The accident occurred at about 7 p.m. local time on Tuesday, when a 42-foot (13-meter) offshore oil service boat, the Sea Raider, struck a wellhead owned by Swift Energy in inland water off Plaquemines Parish. The Coast Guard said the oily water discharge coming off the wellhead amounted to less than 840 gallons (3,180 liters) of oil being spilled per day.