Pipeline leak near Pemex platform causes Gulf of Mexico oil spill, killing wildlife and contaminating reserves: officials

Mexican officials said Thursday that an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in March that polluted beaches, killed wildlife and spread hundreds of miles was caused by a leak near the Abucatoon oil field operated by state energy company Pemex.Pemex CEO Victor Rodriguez said the leak was not reported within the organization, leading to disciplinary action. “There was a leak and senior officials were not notified of the repairs,” he said, according to Reuters, adding that several officials would be dismissed as a result.Rodriguez said three company officials have lost their jobs for failing to report the leak. The spill began in February and caused crude oil to leak out and wash up on the coast in March.Officials have scrambled over the past few weeks to determine the source of the leak, with early investigations in late March focusing on oil tankers that passed through the area before the leak was discovered near the Abutoon oil field.Mexican authorities said on Thursday that the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in early March had spread to more than 600 kilometers (373 miles), including seven nature reserves, the Associated Press reported.Authorities said the spill was linked to three possible sources, including an unidentified vessel and two natural seepage sites.In early March, Navy Secretary Raimundo Morales said satellite images and inspections identified three sources: a ship anchored off the coast of Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz state, a geological seep known as a “chapopotera” located 8 kilometers away, and another natural seep in the Bay of Campeche. He said the ship had not yet been identified because there were 13 ships in the area that had not been inspected at the time.“These oil seeps are constantly being discharged naturally; however, last month the flow of pollutants was greater,” Morales said.Authorities said about 430 tons of hydrocarbons have been recovered so far. They also reported that the spill affected seven nature reserves in the states of Veracruz and Tabasco, but Environment Secretary Alicia Bárcena said no serious environmental damage had been detected.The environment department said six species, including sea turtles, birds and fish, were contaminated. The National Commission on Natural Protected Areas (Conanp) said cleanup operations were carried out in several protected areas, including Los Tuxtlas Biosphere Reserve, Veracruz Coral Reef System National Park and Sentral Wetlands Biosphere Reserve.