HOUSTON, May 1 (Reuters) - A giant oil slick off the shore of Louisiana is likely to hit the Gulf Coast shoreline 'at some point,' and continued leaking of the undersea well owned by BP Plc will cause major problems, the U.S. Coast Guard chief said on Saturday.
'There's enough oil out there, it's logical to assume it will impact the shoreline,' said Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Thad Allen, on a conference call with reporters. 'The question is where and when.'
The Obama administration, which is trying to contain a potential environmental catastrophe, has been engaged in the spill response from the beginning, said Obama adviser John Brennan.
'We're not going to rest until these leaks are stopped,' he said.
The oil slick has not yet affected vital shipping lanes leading to the Mississippi River and Gulf Coast ports like Pascagoula, Mississippi, but has the potential to do so, Allen said.
'Right now there is no significant impact from the oil on those (shipping) fairways,' Allen said.
The rig Deepwater Horizon, owned by Transocean Ltd, sank on April 22, two days after it exploded and caught fire while finishing a well for BP Plc 42 miles (68 km) off the Louisiana coast.
(Reporting by Chris Baltimore; Editing by Doina Chiacu) Keywords: USA RIG/SPILL RESPONSE (chris.baltimore@thomsonreuters.com; + 713 210 8500; Reuters Messaging: chris.baltimore.reuters.com@reuters.net) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2010. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.
'There's enough oil out there, it's logical to assume it will impact the shoreline,' said Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Thad Allen, on a conference call with reporters. 'The question is where and when.'
The Obama administration, which is trying to contain a potential environmental catastrophe, has been engaged in the spill response from the beginning, said Obama adviser John Brennan.
'We're not going to rest until these leaks are stopped,' he said.
The oil slick has not yet affected vital shipping lanes leading to the Mississippi River and Gulf Coast ports like Pascagoula, Mississippi, but has the potential to do so, Allen said.
'Right now there is no significant impact from the oil on those (shipping) fairways,' Allen said.
The rig Deepwater Horizon, owned by Transocean Ltd, sank on April 22, two days after it exploded and caught fire while finishing a well for BP Plc 42 miles (68 km) off the Louisiana coast.
(Reporting by Chris Baltimore; Editing by Doina Chiacu) Keywords: USA RIG/SPILL RESPONSE (chris.baltimore@thomsonreuters.com; + 713 210 8500; Reuters Messaging: chris.baltimore.reuters.com@reuters.net) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2010. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.