Satellite images show oil extending west of Mississippi Delta, encroaching on Chandeleur Sound

Oil extending west around Mississippi Delta

PORT FOURCHON, La. — Recent satellite images show oil from the spill in the Gulf of Mexico is extending west around the Mississippi Delta.

Shots taken by a Canadian satellite Wednesday night reveal the extension looks like a finger reaching out from the main patch. The oil is in streaks ranging from a few feet wide to much larger swaths.

University of Miami imaging expert Hans Graber said Friday the main oil slick has been shifting to the northwest, encroaching on Chandeleur Sound, which lies between the Chandeleur Islands and Mississippi Delta wetlands.

Much of the oil west of the Mississippi River is miles out, but there appears to be little effort to contain it or clean it up. BP and the Coast Guard have acknowledge they’re concerned about the area.