Houston Ship Channel reopened after mishap

HOUSTON, Dec. 16 (UPI) -- The Coast Guard reopened the Houston Ship Channel Thursday after a chemical tanker collided with a moored barge, causing a small oil spill.

The channel was reopened at 11 a.m. following an overnight mishap in which the tanker Ievoli Splendor hit a barge at the Vopak Terminal in Deer Park, the Coast Guard said.

The Spendor's fuel tanks were ruptured in the collision and spilled about 2,000 gallons of fuel, the Coast Guard said. Most of the fuel was recovered and cleanup work continues.

A one-mile section of the channel, which links the Port of Houston with the Gulf of Mexico, was closed for 12 hours.

The Coast Guard Marine Safety Office Houston and the Texas General Land Office were on the scene.

The cause of the accident has not been determined.