State officials, the U.S. Coast Guard and one of Alaska’s leading oil and gas producers are investigating the cause and source of a large oily sheen on the west side of Cook Inlet.
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A pilot flying over the area Monday afternoon reported the sheen to the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation.
The sheen is near an oil platform that’s been out of service for decades and is currently owned by Hilcorp Alaska, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. is in the inlet’s Trading Bay, about 30 miles northwest of Kenai.
The sheen was not visible during flyovers around noon Tuesday or from an oil cleanup ship sent to the site, said Anna Carey, an on-scene coordinator with the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation.
“We’re going to continue to look for any signs of sheen and investigate any potential sources here over the next few days,” she said.
The pilot reported that the sheen was “miles long” and also shared aerial pictures, Carey said. A subsequent flyover by Hilcorp confirmed a sheen in the area, but Carey said the department couldn’t confirm the size because the sheen was not visible Tuesday.
The state, the Coast Guard and Hilcorp established a unified command to coordinate the investigation and response.
According to the unified command, arrived in Trading Bay from Homer around 2:30 a.m. Tuesday and did not detect any oil using its forward-looking infrared camera. The ship has oil recovery equipment and can temporarily store material.
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Although the nature and source of the sheen is still unknown, Carey said the state is responding as if it’s an oil spill.
“Sheen can be caused by proteins or other natural causes,” she said. “Generally there’s a rainbow-ish component to it. We figure it’s from a petroleum product, but at this time we’re still investigating.”
According to Hilcorp, the Spark Platform became inactive in 1992 and wells associated with the platform were plugged and abandoned in 2009.
Any sheen should be reported to the state, Carey said. The state DEC doesn’t expect to see leaks or sheen from platforms that were properly decommissioned, she said.
According to from the state Department of Environmental Conservation, there have been no reported impacts to wildlife. The department said all five salmon species are found in the area.
The department said it plans to continue monitoring the area and investigate the source and cause of the sheen. Carey said whoever is responsible for the spill is also responsible for cleaning it up, but the state will oversee those operations.
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