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Behavior of Oil

Prevailing northerly currents in the western Gulf of Mexico carried spilled oil toward the
U.S.  A 60-mile by 70-mile patch of sheen containing a 300 foot by 500 foot patch of heavy
crude moved toward the Texas coast.  On August 6, 1979, tarballs from the spill impacted a
17 mile stretch of Texas beach.  Mousse patches impacted the shoreline north of Port
Mansfield Channel on August 15 and again on August 18.  On August 24, mousse impacted
shoreline south of Aransas Pass.  By August 26, most of North Padre Island was covered
with moderate amounts of oil.

As of September 1, all of the south Texas coast had been impacted by oil.  A storm lasting
from September 13-15 removed the majority of the oil.  For the remainder of the response
and subsequent study period (through August 1980) only tarmats were observed on the
beaches.  Some oil escaped around boom barriers protecting the three major inlets.  During
the September storm, there was washing of oil over the Barrier Islands.  Impacts to the
estuaries were minor.