How Hurricane Alex Will Disrupt Oil Spill Cleanup

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The storm is centered on the other end of the Gulf of Mexico, but the turbulent seas it will stir will certainly hamper the oil spill fight. (via LA Times)

Alex is accelerating now that it has passed through Mexico, and back into the gulf, with officials bracing for landfall across northern Mexico and southern Texas. That’s a long, long way from the spill site 50 miles off Louisiana, but the problem has to do with sensitive equipment and turbulent seas.

The Los Angeles Times is reporting that BP is in the midst of efforts to double the amount of oil it is collecting from the spewing well. But to install equipment, the company needs calm seas. And being on the east side of Alex – the strong side – means that bigger waves and more turbulent currents will hamper installation. As a result, BP is delaying implementation until July 6 or 7 – losing a full week in the process.

Hurricane Alex is expected to make landfall around the U.S.-Mexico border late Wednesday night.