Houston ship channel closed by weekend oil spill

   The Port of Houston’s Ship Channel remained closed Monday morning as the U.S. Coast Guard and other authorities continued to respond to a Saturday oil spill that resulted from the collision of a bulk ship and barge transporting fuel oil near Texas City, Texas.
   The bulk ship Summer Wind collided with the barge, containing 924,000 gallons of fuel oil, shortly after noon while it was being towed by Kirby Inland Marine’s vessel Miss Susan.
   The Coast Guard estimated that about 168,000 gallons of oil spilled into the water from the ruptured barge.
   About 24 response vessels are currently working to skim the oil. According to the Coast Guard, responders were able to complete the transfer of product inside the barge’s damaged compartment to a second barge. The damaged barge was then moved to a safer location for responders until it can be removed to a local shipyard for further assessment and repair.
   “It is uncertain at this time when the channel will be reopened to vessel traffic, and what, if any the financial impact will be for the private facilities or the Port of Houston Authority. We will continue to closely monitor the situation,” the port authority said in a statement released Sunday.