Coast Guard Skimming Operations

GULF OF MEXICO - The Coast Guard Cutter Elm pumps recovered oil directly to an attached barge using the ship's skimmer 20 nautical miles south of Gulf Shores, Ala. This technique enables faster and safer collection of much greater quantities of oil than small deck-mounted oil tanks. By pumping the collected oil directly to an attached 24,000 barrel capacity barge using the ship's skimmer, Elm can collect much greater quanitities of oil faster and safer than by using small deck-mounted oil tanks. Field improvements like this are being quickly adopted and enable the skimming fleet to do a better job protecting the Gulf coasts. Photo by ENS Jason Radcliffe.

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