REPORT DATE: 10-13-2021
REPORT TIME: 1545 UTC
REGION: GULF OF MEXICO
SUB REGION: N/A
AREA/BLOCK: SOUTH TIMBALIER    31
IMAGE DATE: 10-13-2021
IMAGE TIME: 1158 UTC
DATA SOURCE: RADARSAT2 
MODE: ScanSAR Narrow VV
RESOLUTION: 50 meter
LOCATION: 28°59'15" N/90°22'45" W
AREA: 12.73 square kilometers
CONFIDENCE: Medium
REMARKS: Possible oil was observed in satellite imagery. This anomaly is unconfirmed as oil. The anomaly extended 10.7 NM long by about 1.2 NM wide at its widest point and appeared to have some feathering but the feathering direction was not consistent with winds out of the SE at 15-20 KT at the time of the image. Furthermore, the anomaly did not have good contrast with its background due to the high winds. The apparent point source in the image is not an actual oil facility and is too large to be a vessel. 
This anomaly may be associated with NRC#1319231 though the scale of the anomaly in the NRC report and in this MPSR are not consistent. Considering the above factors, we have MEDIUM confidence in this assessment.

UNCERTAINTIES: Winds were 15-20 KT, the high threshold for effectively leveraging SAR imagery for the detection of oil spills. As a result, the anomaly appears very faint in the image. Therefore, it is possible that the anomaly was smaller or larger than depicted in this MPSR.

Maps and shapefiles can be accessed at: www.ospo.noaa.gov/Products/ocean/marinepollution/

ERMA: https://erma.noaa.gov/gulfofmexico/erma.html#/layers=1+48639&x=-90.3815185&y=28.9815995&z=11&panel=layer

If you would like to share any feedback about this report or have questions, please contact the operational analyst at (301) 683-1403 or send to oceanmap@noaa.gov. Email alerts are available only for federal and state government officials involved in response efforts. Requests to be added to the email alerts should also be sent to oceanmap@noaa.gov. Please allow up to 2 business days to process the request.

For further information on oil spill response and assessment go to:https://response.restoration.noaa.gov/oil-and-chemical-spills/oil-spills 

While NESDIS makes every effort to ensure that its databases are error-free, errors do occur. With respect to documents available from this server, neither the United States Government nor any of its employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, including the warranty of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose; nor assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed; nor represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights.