A group of wells about 10 miles from the Deepwater Horizon has been leaking oil into the Gulf of Mexico since 2004, according to federal records.

Federal officials said the cleanup agreement between the government and Taylor Energy Company LLC, the company that owns the wells, "is the subject of a pending lawsuit concerning the release of details about the decommissioning project" and refused to answer further questions about the ongoing leaks.

The leaking wells were discovered after satellite images showing the extent of the BP PLC spill were released. Federal reports reveal Hurricane Ivan toppled a Taylor production platform near the mouth of the Mississippi River. The platform was tied to 26 wells, although it is unclear how many are leaking. The company has been working to drill relief wells to halt the flow.

The Interior Department and U.S. Coast Guard estimated the leak released as few as 13 gallons of oil a day.

Others guess the spill is more substantial.

SkyTruth, a watchdog company that uses satellite images to monitor environmental problems, was the first to call attention to the ongoing spill. They estimated the slick contained a minimum of 3,157 gallons of oil.

"If the Coast Guard is right and the average leak rate was 14 gallons a day, it would take 225 days at that rate to accumulate 3,157 gallons of oil on the surface," said John Amos, SkyTruth president and former oil industry engineer. "That means no biodegradation, no waves, no current, no thunderstorms to break it up. It is simply not plausible that oil collected on that spot for 225 days."

For a slick of the size estimated by SkyTruth, the Clean Water Act would dictate a fine of more than $80,000. Federal officials declined to speak about any fines they may have imposed on Taylor. Federal records reveal none that has been levied (Ben Raines, Mobile Press-Register, Feb. 13). -- PK