Authorities acknowledge that a pipeline leak caused the spill in the Gulf of Mexico

In a press conference of the Interinstitutional Group in charge of responding to the spill, the Secretaries of State reported that with the support of scientists and specialists, analyzed more than 70 satellite images, overflights and underwater inspections to confirm the origin of the contamination and which ended up dispersing along almost 1000 kilometers of coast in the Gulf of Mexico.

This coincides with satellite analyzes by scientists and environmental organizations consulted by Mongabay Latam, who warned that the origin of the emanations detected between February and March were more associated with oil pipelines than with slobbers.

The general director of the state company Pemex (Petróleos Mexicanos), Víctor Rodríguez Padilla, explained that the spill was caused by a 36-inch leak in underwater infrastructure intended for the transportation of crude oil that It took about 48 hours to be detected.

In a press conference, the manager revealed irregularities within Pemex regarding the operation of the ships in the spill area, which were not reported at the time.

“I personally analyzed the logs of eight ships, from those reports I obtained data and facts of which I was not informed,” Rodríguez apologized.

Pemex reported that due to these events, the deputy director of safety, occupational health and environmental protection; the marine control, spills and waste coordinator; and Pemex spill and waste leader They were removed from office and are under investigation.

In addition, he said that he filed a complaint with the Attorney General’s Office and with the Anti-Corruption and Good Government Secretariat for alleged irregularities due to the repair works that were not reported to high command and for the leak that had been systematically denied by the company.

He even added that one of the irregularities reported was the decision “not to cut off the flow in its entirety to limit the duration and magnitude of the spill,” since The valve was closed 8 days after detecting the leak.

The Interinstitutional Group also announced the definitive establishment of the Permanent Observatory of the Gulf of Mexico, made up of the same institutions and the scientific community, with the objective of monitoring possible spills, generating early warnings and strengthening prevention in the region.

Read more about the causes of the spill in the Gulf of Mexico in this note from Mongabay Latam.