When we think of environmental disasters involving petroleum, we often transfer the blame from bad transportation operations to the oil production itself. Prepare for another “oil is bad” media onslaught because of the tugboat named Mel Oliver.
I’m glad nobody was hurt. UPI reports:
NEW ORLEANS, July 24 (UPI) — A catastrophic oil spill resulting from a tanker collision stretched about 100 miles from New Orleans to the mouth of the Mississippi River, officials say.
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The oil spill occurred early Wednesday when a 600-foot Liberian tanker collided with a barge carrying 400,000 gallons of thick, marine oil. The barge was split in half, sending nearly all of its contents into the river. The barge reportedly was being pulled by the tugboat Mel Oliver, which had no appropriately licensed personnel on board at the time of the incident, the newspaper said. (emphasis mine)
I see a lawsuit in the making. Let’s hope it stays with the tugging company.
The zone they fractured was 200 ft high at 60 bpm. I’ve seen plenty of those types of jobs. They threatened to run out of sand and keep pumping. The risk is that there would not be sand near the well, and the fracture would close and plug the well. Apparently this gamble paid off, for the well flowed oil after the job. 
