Photo credit: AP
An oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in March that polluted beaches, killed wildlife and spread hundreds of miles was triggered by a leak near the Abkatun field operated by state energy company Pemex, Mexican officials said on Thursday.Pemex Chief Executive Officer Víctor Rodríguez said the leak had gone unreported within the organisation, leading to disciplinary action. “There had been a leak and repairs senior officials had not been informed of,” he said, adding that several officials would be removed from their posts as a result, Reuters reported.Rodríguez said three company officials had already lost their jobs for failing to report the leak, which began in February and led to a crude oil spill that washed up on shores in March.Over the past weeks, officials had scrambled to determine the source of the spill, with earlier investigations in late March focusing on petroleum tankers passing through the area before the leak was identified near the Abkatun field.According to AP, the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in early March had spread to more than 600 kilometres (373 miles), including to seven protected natural reserves, Mexican authorities said on Thursday. Authorities said the spill was linked to three possible sources, including a vessel yet to be identified and two natural seepage points.Earlier in March, Navy Secretary Raymundo Morales said satellite imagery and inspections identified three sources: a vessel anchored off the coast of Coatzacoalcos in Veracruz, a geological seepage site known as a “chapopotera” located 8 kilometres away, and another natural seepage in the Bay of Campeche. He said the vessel has not yet been identified as 13 ships in the area had not been inspected at the time.“These oil seeps have a constant, natural emission; however, there has been a greater flow of contaminants in the last month,” Morales said.Authorities said around 430 tonnes of hydrocarbons have been recovered so far. They also reported that the spill affected seven protected natural reserves across Veracruz and Tabasco, though Environment Secretary Alicia Bárcena said no severe environmental damage had been detected.Environmental authorities said six species, including sea turtles, birds and fish, were contaminated. The National Commission of Natural Protected Areas (Conanp) said cleanup operations were carried out across multiple protected sites, including the Los Tuxtlas Biosphere Reserve, Veracruz Reef System National Park, and the Centla Wetlands Biosphere Reserve.
