Skip Links

USGS - science for a changing world

U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2010-1290

>> Pubs Warehouse > OF 2010-1290

A Preliminary Report to the U.S. Coast Guard

Reconnaissance of Macondo-1 Well Oil in Sediment and Tarballs from the Northern Gulf of Mexico Shoreline, Texas to Florida

By Robert J. Rosenbauer, Pamela L. Campbell, Angela Lam, Thomas D. Lorenson, Frances D. Hostettler, Burt Thomas, and Florence L. Wong

ABSTRACT

Thumbnail of and link to report PDF (6 MB)

Hydrocarbons were extracted and analyzed from sediment and tarballs collected from the northern Gulf of Mexico (nGOM) coast that is potentially impacted by Macondo-1 (M-1) well oil. The samples were analyzed for a suite of diagnostic geochemical biomarkers. Aided by multivariate statistical analysis, the M-1 well oil has been identified in sediment and tarballs collected from Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, and Florida. None of the sediment hydrocarbon extracts from Texas correlated with the M-1 well oil. Oil-impacted sediments are confined to the shoreline adjacent to the cumulative oil slick of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and no impact was observed outside of this area.

Also of interest

Open-File Report 2011-1014, Petroleum Hydrocarbons in Sediment from the Northern Gulf of Mexico Shoreline, Texas to Florida, by Robert J. Rosenbauer, Pamela L. Campbell, Angela Lam, Thomas D. Lorenson, Frances D. Hostettler, Burt Thomas, and Florence L. Wong

  • This report is available only on the Web.

For additional information:
Contact Information, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center
U.S. Geological Survey
345 Middlefield Road, MS-999
Menlo Park, CA 94025-3591
http://walrus.wr.usgs.gov/

This report is presented in Portable Document Format (PDF); the latest version of Adobe Reader or similar software is required to view it. Download the latest version of Adobe Reader, free of charge.

Suggested citation:

Rosenbauer, R.J., Campbell, P.L., Lam, Angela, Lorenson, T.D., Hostettler, F.D., Thomas, Burt, and Wong, F.L., 2010, Reconnaissance of Macondo-1 well oil in sediment and tarballs from the northern Gulf of Mexico shoreline, Texas to Florida: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2010-1290, 22 p.


Contents

Abstract

Keywords

Introduction

Methods

Results

Conclusions

References Cited

two appendixes


Accessibility FOIA Privacy Policies and Notices

Take Pride in America logo USA.gov logo U.S. Department of the Interior | U.S. Geological Survey
URL: http:// pubsdata.usgs.gov /pubs/of/2010/1290/index.html
Page Contact Information: USGS Publications Team
Page Last Modified: Wednesday, 07-Dec-2016 22:44:10 EST