Coast Guard continues response to ruptured pipeline near Cameron, La.

HOUSTON — The Coast Guard Captain of the Port re-opened the Calcasieu Ship Channel, Thursday, after it was determined that the ruptured condensate oil and natural gas pipeline posed no threat to deep draft vessels transiting the channel.

At 8:30 p.m., Thursday, the Calcasieu Ship Channel was re-opened and the 1,000 yard safety zone rescinded after sonar scans of the pipeline indicated that the channel was clear of any protrusions above the soil line at the site of the incident.

The flow of natural gas out of the pipeline rupture has stopped. Divers hired by Stingray-Enbridge, worked through the night and will continue working today to manually shut in the sub-sea, tie-in valve.

The dive team will be re-entering the channel during the next several days to assess the pipeline damage and to complete repairs. The Coast Guard, along with the Lake Charles Pilot Association, will work closely with the owners of the pipeline, Stingray-Enbridge, to schedule these repair operations in a way that minimizes any further impact to commercial vessel traffic within the channel.

The Coast Guard and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement are investigating the cause of the incident.