MEXICO CITY, Sept 11 (Reuters) – Pemex is working to contain a new crude oil leak from a pipeline at one of its Gulf of Mexico facilities off Campeche, Mexico’s Science Ministry said on Friday, in the latest spill to hit the state oil producer’s aging offshore network.
The ministry said the leak was detected on Thursday morning. It expects the slick to drift westward in the coming days and, for now, does not forecast it reaching the coast.
• Authorities did not provide an estimate of the volume spilled.
• The incident follows a major Pemex spill in February caused by a leak near the Abkatun field. Pemex was slow to acknowledge that spill, which polluted parts of Mexico’s Gulf coast, and no full accounting of the environmental damage has been released.
• In a statement, a department of the Science Ministry said it would continue monitoring the slick’s path in case conditions shift.
• A Pemex spokesperson said the department was handling updates on the spill.
• Pemex operates extensively in the Gulf of Mexico, where its biggest producing fields are located. Many are mature assets tied to extensive offshore infrastructure.
(Reporting by Adriana Barrera and Kylie Madry)
