Sound opened for fishing

BILOXI, Miss. - The Mississippi Sound reopened today for recreational catch and consumption after a nearly four-week closure due to the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The Mississippi Department of Marine Resources closed the Sound in the first week of July, then reopened it a week ago for catch-and-release purposes. Now, anglers will be allowed to keep their catch. The opening includes all waters in the Mississippi Sound to the barrier islands, not the waters south of the islands. (Source: Sun Herald, 07/30/10) The Deepwater Horizon exploded April 20, killing 11 workers. Oil and gas spewed into the Gulf of Mexico until a cap was put in placed and fully closed July 15. Oil on the surface of the Gulf of Mexico has diminished since through weathering, microbe action and skimming. The long-term impact, however, is still unclear. The well is expected to be permanently capped next week.

Scientists discuss spill impact at forum

OCEAN SPRINGS, Miss. - Scientists from the Gulf Coast Research Lab presented a more hopeful picture about the effects of the oil on the environment. They said lab tests show bacteria eat both the oil and dispersant, and researchers are having a hard time finding the underwater plumes that existed earlier in the oil disaster. The comments were made during a lecture Thursday night. In another matter, Bill Hawkins, director of GCRL, said no one on his staff is on retainer to do research for BP. A report in the Mobile Press-Register earlier this month said BP was trying to hire scientists to do research under condition they not release any of their findings for three years. (Source: Sun Herald, 07/29/10, Mississippi Press, 07/30/10)

Permanent plug before Aug. 1 possible

BP may move up the schedule for its effort to permanently plug the Gulf of Mexico well that caused the largest oil spill in U.S. history. The static kill would involve pumping mud into the top of the well and perhaps sealing it with cement, and may be done before Aug. 1. The well was capped July 15, and no oil has spewed into the Gulf of Mexico since then. Government scientists decided no leaks will be triggered by a static kill. (Source: Bloomberg, 07/29/10) The Deepwater Horizon exploded April 20, killing 11 workers. Millions of gallons of oil spewed into the water until it was capped in the middle of the month. Oil that had been on the surface of the Gulf of Mexico has been vanishing through weathering, oil-eating microbes and skimming operations. Scientists believe oil is also still in the water but out of sight.

Oil spill Day 100

It's been nearly two weeks since oil has spewed into the Gulf of Mexico from the ruptured well in the Gulf of Mexico thanks to a temporary cap that sealed the geyser July 15. Bob Dudley, the new chief executive of BP, said he doesn't think any more oil will gush into the Gulf of Mexico. A permanent fix will come in mid-August when relief wells reach their target and the pipe is sealed with mud and cement. Significantly less crude is floating on the surface of the Gulf of Mexico, some breaking up due to weathering and oil-eating bacteria, some remaining sub-surface. Consequences of the spill may take years to identify, and BP's compensation fund should be flexible enough to account for long-term losses, a panel of experts from Alaska's Exxon Valdez tanker spill told a Senate panel Tuesday. The April 20 explosion the Deepwater Horizon killed 11 workers and gushed up to 184 million gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. (Sources: Multiple, 07/28/10)

NG delivers destroyer Gravely

PASCAGOULA, Miss. - Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding's Pascagoula yard on Tuesday delivered its 27th Aegis guided missile destroyer, Gravely, to the Navy. DDG 107 is 510 feet long and weighs 9,500 tons. It will be commissioned Nov. 20, in Wilmington, N.C. (Source: Mississippi Press, Northrop Grumman, 07/27/10)

Scientists to discuss oil spill impact

OCEAN SPRINGS, Miss. - Scientists from the University of Southern Mississippi's Gulf Coast Research Lab will discuss the impact of the oil spill on the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem at the next Issues and Answers lecture series Thursday night. The series, sponsored by the Sun Herald and USM, will be at the Mary C. O’Keefe Cultural Center. USM's Bill Hawkins, the panel moderator, said it may take years to know the full effects of the spill on the water and the marine life, but he hopes the lecture will help people understand what is going on. (Source: Sun Herald, USM, 07/24/10) The Deepwater Horizon exploded April 20, killing 11 workers. The ruptured well spilled oil and gas into the Gulf of Mexico until July 15. A permanent fix is expected early next month. 

Drill rig, others, returning to spill site

Tropical Storm Bonnie has weakened into a tropical depression, so a drilling rig and a dozen other ships working to repair the busted oil well in the Gulf of Mexico are returning. Workers on Friday moved away from the projected path, but since then the threat has diminished. Retired Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen, leader of the federal response, said Saturday it will take 24 to 36 hours to get the drilling ship back at the site, and at least a week before drilling can begin again. The well has been capped for more than a week. Vessels relaying video images and seismic readings from undersea robots monitoring the leaky well are still in place and may be able to stay. (Sources: New York Times, AP via Mobile Press-Register, 07/24/10)

Ship christened by First Lady

PASCAGOULA, Miss. - It took two swings of the bottle, but First Lady Michelle Obama on Friday christened a Coast Guard cutter named for the organization’s first female commissioned officer. Some 3,000 people showed up for the ceremony. The First Lady praised Capt. Dorothy C. Stratton as a pioneer who joined the Coast Guard during World War II and eventually oversaw more than 10,000 enlisted women and 1,000 commissioned officers. The ship, built by Northrop Grumman, will be delivered next summer and patrol waters off northern California. (Source: Multiple, including AP via NPR, Mississippi Press, Sun Herald, 07/23/10) Previous story

Keel laid for JHSV

MOBILE, Ala. - The Army and Navy this week authenticated the keel for the future Army Vessel Spearhead, JHSV 1, at the Austal USA shipyard. The event symbolically recognizes the beginning of ship construction. Spearhead is the first ship to be built as part of the DoD's Joint High Speed Vessel program, managed by the Navy's Program Executive Office Ships. The ship is expected to be delivered to the Army's 7th Sustainment Brigade in 2012. The second ship of the class, the future USNS Vigilant, will be delivered to the Navy the following year. (Source: NNS, 07/23/10) Previous story

Well to remain plugged

Ships over the crippled well in the Gulf of Mexico were ordered to evacuate ahead of Tropical Storm Bonnie, but the leaky cap fixed to the well head will remain closed while they are gone. The storm could delay another 12 days the push to plug the well using mud and cement. (Source: AP via Sun Herald, 07/22/10) The Deepwater Horizon exploded April 20, killing 11 workers.

Well deemed OK; new fix eyed

BP is considering a plan that could permanently seal the oil well in the Gulf of Mexico. Kent Wells, a senior vice president for BP, said the company was studying a "static kill" in which heavy mud would be pumped into the capped well, forcing the oil and gas back down into the reservoir. A decision to proceed could be made in several days. Meanwhile, scientists Monday determined that methane gas seeping from the seafloor nearly two miles from the well was a natural occurrence and not related to a pressure test to assess the well's condition. (Source: New York Times, 07/19/10)

First Lady to christen ship in Pascagoula

PASCAGOULA, Miss. - First Lady Michelle Obama will be in Pascagoula this week for the Friday christening of the Coast Guard cutter Stratton at Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding. Stratton, a 418-foot cutter, is the third in an eight-ship program. It's named after the first commissioned female officer in the Coast Guard. Northrop Grumman announced last year that Michelle Obama would be the sponsor of the Legend class ship. (Source: Mississippi Press, 07/19/10)

Leak detected away from well

A leak has been detected a distance from the wellhead that was capped Thursday to stop the flow of oil and gas into the Gulf of Mexico. Retired Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen, the government's oil spill response director, ordered BP to prepare to open the cap at the wellhead should the seepage be confirmed. No information was available on the size of the leak, the distance from the wellhead or how it was discovered. (Sources: CNN, New Orleans Times-Picayune, Bloomberg, 07/18/10)

Cap may remain shut

BP executive Doug Suttles said Sunday that a cap used to shut off the oil geyser in the Gulf of Mexico seems to be holding, and may remain shut until a relief well can provide a permanent fix later this month or next month. That differs from the plan the federal government laid out Saturday, which calls for temporarily releasing oil into the Gulf while the cap is connected to tankers at the surface. (Sources: Washington Post, AP via Houston Chronicle, 07/18/10) The Deepwater Horizon exploded April 20, killing 11 workers. Oil flowed into the water until a cap was put in place last week.

"A Whale" fails

The massive oil skimmer "A Whale" has proven inefficient in sucking up oil in the Gulf of Mexico spill. The oil is too dispersed to take advantage of the converted Taiwanese supertanker's enormous capacity, said Bob Grantham, a spokesman for shipowner TMT. The 10-story-tall, 1,100-foot-long ship boasted it could process 21 million gallons oily water a day. (Source: New Orleans Times-Picayune, 07/16/10) The Deepwater Horizon exploded April 20, killing 11 workers. Oil had been leaking into the Gulf of Mexico until it was capped during the week. Officials are still monitoring the cap to ensure it's working.

Oil flow stopped

BP says oil has stopped leaking into the Gulf for the first time since April. BP slowly dialed down the flow as part of a test on a new cap. Engineers are now monitoring the pressure to see if the busted well holds. The 2:25 p.m. CDT shutoff of the oil is a significant milestone in BP's effort to stop the flow of oil and gas. (Source: AP, 07/15/10) The Deepwater Horizon exploded April 20, killing 11 workers. Oil has soiled coastlines from Texas to Northwest Florida. A relief well to permanently seal the leak is proceeding.

Colle Towing has new owner

PASCAGOULA, Miss. - Colle Towing, founded in 1878 in Pascagoula, has changed ownership and is now Colle Maritime, a division of Signet Maritime Corp., headquartered in Houston. The change was announced at Tuesday's Port of Pascagoula Board meeting. Colle Towing provides ship docking, marine transportation, vessel construction and repair. (Source: Mississippi Press, 07/14/10)

Test of well cap under way

A test is under way on a new, tighter cap over the leaking well in the Gulf of Mexico. The government gave the go-ahead for the test after a daylong delay prompted by concerns that the cap might make the leak worse. The oil has been leaking into the Gulf of Mexico since the Deepwater Horizon exploded April 20, killing 11 workers. (Sources: Multiple, 07/14/10)

Well cap test delayed

A test to see if the Gulf of Mexico oil spill can be stopped with a cap placed over the well has been delayed to allow experts more time to review its safety and effectiveness. The test was expected Tuesday but the delay of at least 24 hours will allow for further analysis. Federal officials are concerned that closing the cap valves now letting oil and gas escape through the top might cause leaks elsewhere along the line. (Source: Multiple, including Wall Street Journal, BBC, New York Times, 07/14/10)

Atlantic Marine buy finalized

BAE Systems has completed its acquisition of Atlantic Marine Holding Co. after receiving necessary U.S. regulatory approvals. The company announced in May its definitive agreement to acquire Atlantic Marine from JFL-AMH Partners, LLC, a portfolio company of the private-equity firm J.F. Lehman & Co., for a cash consideration of $352 million. The acquired Atlantic Marine operations at Mayport and Jacksonville, Fla., Moss Point, Miss., and Mobile, Ala., employ about 1,000 people and will become known as BAE Systems Southeast Shipyards. This new business provides vessel maintenance, repair, overhaul, and conversion; marine fabrication; and ship construction services. (Source: BusinessWire, 07/13/10)

NOAA ends VT Halter contract

PASCAGOULA, Miss. - NOAA terminated its latest contract with VT Halter Marine for a 110-foot ocean and coastal mapping vessel, the SWATH Ferdinand R. Hassler. The vessel is 98 percent complete and has undergone sea trials in the Gulf. But a dispute with NOAA over how much weight the vessel could carry has led to an impasse and NOAA executed an option to terminate the contract. Halter CEO Bill Skinner said they are still trying to work through the issue, but there's a possibility someone else will finish the job. (Source: Sun Herald, 07/13/10)

NG closing Avondale, may shed shipbuilding

Northrop Grumman is closing its shipyards in Avondale and Tallulah, La., and consolidating its work in Pascagoula, Miss., while it considers shedding all its shipbuilding operations. According to the company, it's exploring "strategic alternatives" for its shipbuilding unit, which also includes Newport News in Virginia. That includes the possible sale or spin off to shareholders. CEO Wes Bush said the company sees little synergy between shipbuilding and its other business. (Sources: Sun-Herald, Mobile Press-Register, Virginia Pilot, Wall Street Journal, 07/13/10)

NG gets tax break

BILOXI, Miss. - Northrop Grumman received a five-year tax exemption Monday for a $16 million improvement project at the company's Gulfport operation. Harrison County supervisors voted 2-1 to grant the property tax break on equipment purchased for the facility. In a statement, Northrop Grumman officials said they purchased a new bridge crane and mold table used in the fabrication of composite structures. The Gulfport facility employs about 550, including 146 whose jobs were created by the purchases. (Source: Sun Herald, 07/12/10)

Jindal worried about Avondale

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal added his voice to concerns that Northrop Grumman may close its shipyard in Avondale, La. The company "has indicated to us that Northrop Grumman does not intend to keep Avondale open for the long term in the absence of a viable Navy shipbuilding program there," Jindal said in an e-mailed statement, according to Bloomberg. When Northrop completes work on the LPD- 17 class transport ships at Avondale in 2012, the company intends to move potential work on the next two ships in the category to its shipyard in Pascagoula, Miss., Jindal said. (Source: Bloomberg, 07/12/10)

Final ship bids submitted

MOBILE, Ala. - Austal USA and rival Lockheed Martin have submitted final offers to build 10 littoral combat ships for the Navy. The contract could be worth $5 billion and would require Austal to hire 2,000 more workers at its Mobile River shipyard, which currently employs about 1,500. The Navy is expected to choose a shipbuilder next month, Austal officials said in a news release. Both competitors have built one ship so far. (Source: Mobile Press-Register, 07/12/10)

New cap being tested

BP has placed a new, tight-fitting cap on the leaking oil well in the Gulf of Mexico and will test it to see if it can withstand the pressure of the oil and gas. Oil from the well has been spewing into the Gulf of Mexico since the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon April 20. In another matter, a new moratorium, no longer based on water depth, was issued on deep-water offshore drilling. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar argued that a pause is needed to ensure that oil and gas companies implement safety measures. It will remain in effect until November. (Source: Multiple, 07/13/10)

Oil, gas, pouring freely in Gulf of Mexico

Oil is now pouring freely from the pipe in the Gulf of Mexico. The old cap, which did not fit well, was removed Saturday and a new one that will fit more tightly will be put in place. The cap could be put in place by Monday, but the whole process will take serveral days. BP hopes the new cap will allow all of the leaking oil – as much as 80,000 barrels a day – to be captured. A permanent fix is not expected until relief wells are in place later this month or next month. (Sources: Multiple, 07/11/10) The Deepwater Horizon exploded April 20, killing 11 workers. Oil has spewed into the Gulf of Mexico ever since. Oil has washed ashore in five states.

New well cap may offer relief

BP plans to remove the loose cap over its gushing well in the Gulf of Mexico on Saturday and replace it with a firm one that could capture almost all the oil and gas gushing out. The plan is to have it in place by Monday. If the process works, workers would funnel the leaking oil into tankers on the surface, meaning no additional oil and gas will gush into the Gulf waters. National Incident Commander Thad Allen announced late Friday that he approved a detailed timeline submitted by BP. The best hope for stopping the leaks are two relief wells. (Sources: Multiple, including Washington Post, 07/10/10) The Deepwater Horizon exploded April 20, killing 11 workers. Oil has leaked since then and has washed ashore from Texas to Northwest Florida.

Giant skimmer to get more testing

That giant skimmer called “A Whale” will get another week of testing in the Gulf of Mexico. Tests last weekend were inconclusive. The Taiwanese tanker was converted into a skimmer and tested last weekend, but six-foot waves limited the flow of oily water into the six intake vents. The company that owns the ship claims it can process 21 million gallons of oily water a day. (Source: New Orleans Times Picayune, 07/08/10) The Deepwater Horizon exploded April 20, killing 11 workers. Oil from the broken well has spewed into the Gulf of Mexico ever since.

Austal to lay keel for JHSV

MOBILE, Ala. - Austal USA will hold a keel-laying ceremony July 22 for its first Joint High-Speed Vessel, Spearhead. The ceremony will be at Austal's shipyard on Mobile River across from downtown. The high-speed transport ferry will carry military equipment and troops at speeds of up to 43 knots. Austal was selected as the prime contractor on the project in November 2008, and has received money for four more ships. (Source: Mobile Press-Register, 07/07/10)

Oil flow to end this month?

A BP executive said the gushing oil may be stopped this month. The long-anticipated "bottom kill" of the well, a dose of mud and cement shot through a relief well now being drilled, could take place before the end of July. "In a perfect world with no interruptions, it's possible to be ready to stop the well between July 20 and July 27," BP managing director Bob Dudley said in an interview with the Wall Street Journal. (Source: Wall Street Journal, 07/08/10) The Deepwater Horizon exploded April 20, killing 11 workers. The well has spewed oil into the Gulf of Mexico ever since.

Containment vessel hooks up

A new containment vessel is partially linked to the gushing well in the Gulf of Mexico. Officials said they'll know soon if it's properly connected. The Helix Producer can gather up to 25,000 barrels of oil a day. (Source: AP via Mobile Press-Register, 07/06/10). Oil has now hit all the Gulf Coast states, with a tar balls coming ashore in Texas. Oil has also made its way into Lake Pontchartrain. (Sources: New Orleans Times-Picayune, 07/06/10) A Navy airship, MZ-3A, has been assigned to the Gulf Coast to be used in the Deepwater Horizon response. It will be used to spot and monitor oil to support skimming operations and will also help find endangered animals to help responders. (Source: Sun Herald, 07/06/10) The Deepwater Horizon exploded April 20, killing 11 workers. It has been spewing oil into the Gulf of Mexico ever since. Relief wells, seen as the best hope at stopping the flow, are getting closer.

Huge skimmer test inconclusive

Testing of a 10-story tall skimmer that's seen as a best hope for sucking up oil in the Gulf of Mexico has been inconclusive because of rough seas. The vessel can pull in 21 million gallons of water a day. Tests will continue. (Source: New Orleans Times-Picayune, 07/05/10) A ban on fishing in federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico has been extended to an area south of Vermilion Bay, La. About a third of the Gulf is now closed to fishing. (Source: AP via Mobile Press-Register, 07/05/10) BP's costs for the oil spill is now just over $3 billion. It was $2.65 billion a week ago. (Source: AP via Mobile Press-Register, 07/05/10) The Deepwater Horizon exploded April 20, killing 11 workers. Oil and gas have spewed into the Gulf of Mexico ever since, soiling the coastlines and wildlife from Louisiana to Florida. The tourism and fishing industries have taken a huge hit.

Moret: Northrop Avondale at risk

NEW ORLEANS, La. - Louisiana's economic development secretary said Friday he's concerned that the curtailment of Navy ship programs has put the future of Northrop Grumman's 5,000-employee Avondale shipyard in doubt. Stephen Moret made the comments after being briefed by Northrop Grumman officials. The Avondale yard is the state's largest manufacturing employer, but the smallest of Northrop Grumman's three major shipyards, which also include yards in Pascagoula, Miss., and Newport News, Va. A Northrop Grumman official reached Saturday by the Times-Picayune deferred comments to a company spokeswoman in Washington, D.C., who did not respond. (Source: New Orleans Times-Picayune, 07/03/10)

Navy, Northrop blamed for ship woes

A report released Thursday says both the government and contractors share the blame for the problems that have plagued the USS San Antonio. The failures, from shoddy workmanship to bad quality control, caused the problems aboard the San Antonio-class amphibious ship, which was built at Northrop Grumman in Avondale, La. The USS San Antonio needs $7.5 million in repairs. The report details findings from a six-month Navy investigation. (Sources: Norfolk Virginia-Pilot, 07/02/10, Navy Times, 07/01/10)

Whale sharks target of study

OCEAN SPRINGS, Miss.- Renowned oceanographer Dr. Sylvia Earle teamed with Dr. Eric Hoffmayer of the Gulf Coast Research Lab to study the impact of the Deepwater Horizon spill on Gulf of Mexico whale sharks. They spent three days in the Gulf of Mexico and found more than 100 whale sharks 90 miles south of Grand Isle, La., some 60 miles west of the oil spill. They tagged four of the sharks. Whale sharks suck in marine organisms at the surface of the water for food, and may be ingesting oil with their food. Earle is an explorer-in-residence at National Geographic. Earle's "Mission Blue" is a quest to protect hot spots in the world’s oceans. (Source: WLOX-TV, 07/01/10)

BP oil spill sets record

The BP oil spill has now eclipsed the size of the 1979 spill off the coast of Mexico, according to the Associated Press. The BP spill was already being called the worst in U.S. history. The spill started April 20 with the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon. It's now estimated to have spilled 140.6 million gallons of oil into Gulf waters, based on the highest of the federal government's estimates. The Ixtoc I spill in Mexico was 140 million gallons. (Source: USA Today, 07/01/10)

Scientist: Oil in estuarine food chain

OCEAN SPRINGS, Miss. - Scientists at the University of Southern Mississippi have found oil in the postlarvae of blue crabs entering coastal marshes along the Gulf Coast. Harriet Perry, director of the Center for Fisheries Research and Development at the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory, found droplets of hydrocarbons in blue crab and fiddler crab larvae. The oil appears to be trapped between the hard, outer shell of the crab and its inner skin. Perry said she's sampled Mississippi coastal waters for 42 years and has never seen this. (Source: Sun Herald, 07/01/10)

EPA: Dispersant less risky than oil

The Environmental Protection Agency released its first report on the dispersant Corexit 9500, which BP has applied to the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The EPA concluded that the oil dispersant is less harmful than the oil spill after testing the dispersant on marine animals in a lab setting. EPA's assistant administrator for research and development, Paul Anastas, said in this crisis oil is the No. 1 public enemy. He said, however, that it's too early to tell the long-term impact. (Source: Washington Post, 06/30/10) The Deepwater Horizon exploded April 20, and oil has been gushing into the Gulf of Mexico ever since. A relief well is nearing its goal.

Naval engineer consortium formed

A new consortium has been formed to center on training naval systems engineers for the Navy's civilian acquisition, engineering and science workforce. Established by Naval Sea Systems Command through a five-year, $7.5 million contract, the Naval Engineering Education Consortium involves 15 colleges and universities, including the University of New Orleans, as well as the American Society of Naval Engineers and the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers. The consortium is led by the University of Michigan and includes, in addition to UNO, Penn State, Virginia Tech, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Georgia Tech, Webb Institute, Florida State, Florida Atlantic University, Old Dominion University, Tennessee State University, Stevens Institute of Technology, University of Iowa, University of Texas-San Antonio and the University of Washington. (Source: Penn State University, 06/30/10)

"A Whale" awaits

NEW ORLEANS, La. - A huge ship that was refitted to skim for oil is now at the mouth of the Mississippi River awaiting approval to skim for oil in the Gulf of Mexico. The ship, called "A Whale," arrived in the Gulf on Wednesday. Built in South Korea, the originally was designed as a cargo vessel. It can skim 250 times as much as the modified fishing boats now skimming in the Gulf of Mexico. (Source: CNN, 07/01/10) The Deepwater Horizon exploded April 20 and the pipe a mile under the Gulf of Mexico has been spewing oil ever since. A relief well is getting close to its target.