Exxon Tanker Hits Ground Near New Orleans; No Spill Reported

NEW ORLEANS —  An Exxon tanker carrying 13 million gallons of petroleum products ran aground Friday near the mouth of the Mississippi River, but the hull was not damaged and none of the cargo spilled, the Coast Guard said.

One tug was at the scene and three others were on the way to attempt to free the ship, an Exxon spokesman said. A barge was also on the way in case the cargo had to be unloaded.

“We’ve got investigators on the scene checking it out. The captain of the port has instructed Exxon to get containment booms ready,” said Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer Dan Dewell. He said the booms were only a precaution.

The cargo on the 617-foot Exxon Wilmington included 8 million gallons of jet fuel. The ship took on its cargo at the Exxon refinery at Baton Rouge and was en route to New Jersey, said Exxon spokesman John Reidy.

Aground in Soft Mud

“The fact that there is no damage to the hull and nothing has spilled and that it is in soft mud--all these would seem to indicate that spillage would not be a problem,” Reidy said.

The tanker was about three miles downstream from a Soviet grain freighter which has been stuck in the channel for 18 days, and was in the same place that a freighter ran aground last week, Dewell said.

“Some buildup and settlement may have occurred in that area as a result of changes in the current where the grain ship is,” Reidy said.

Dewell said the tanker did not appear to be hard aground like the Soviet freighter, which was being unloaded to lighten it so it can be floated free.

“This sort of thing happens . . . seven to eight times a year, especially in the early springtime,” Dewell said.