Exxon Responds to Oil Sheen on Yellowstone River in Montana

ExxonMobil Corp. said it’s responding to an oil sheen observed Oct. 7 near its Billings, Montana, refinery, about 15 miles from an Exxon pipeline spill in July.

“ExxonMobil has no pipelines or similar oil containing equipment in close proximity to the leak,” said Rachael Moore, a spokeswoman for the Dallas-based company, in an e-mail today. The company has “no reason” to believe its facilities were the source of the oil, she said.

A spill response team from the refinery laid boom to limit potential environmental damage, and the “small amount of oil” is contained in a side channel of the river, Moore said.

The company is investigating the source of the sheen, she said. Moore declined to provide an estimate of how much oil is in the sheen.

On July 1, Exxon’s Silvertip pipeline in Montana ruptured, spilling as much as 1,000 barrels of crude into the Yellowstone River. The cleanup effort, which is being led by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, has involved more than 600 people and is expected to cost the company an estimated $42.6 million, Exxon has said.

To contact the reporter on this story: Bradley Olson in Houston at bradleyolson@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Susan Warren at susanwarren@bloomberg.net