Shell shut the 18-inch Houma-St. James, Louisiana portion of its Zydeco crude pipeline early Wednesday to investigate an area of concern at St. James, according to market sources.
In an email, Shell said it is responding to a crude oil release near its St. James Junction facility in Louisiana and has isolated the inbound pipelines to the facility. Their Emergency Response Plan has been activated and responders are on the scene. Contract response partners for clean-up and air monitoring have also been mobilized to support the response.
The released material is contained to the immediate area, and out of an abundance of caution, additional steps have been taken to prevent any further impact to the soil, nearby waterways and wildlife, Shell said. The incident remains active and under investigation as to ownership and cause. All agency notifications have been completed, and Shell is committed to working closely with authorities to bring this situation under control, they added.
It isn’t clear when the section will resume service. Zydeco system runs from Houston to St. James, comparising four major segments (see map below).
