Agency Recommends $9.6M in Fines for Houston-based Midstream for 2022 Deepwater Spill

The U.S. Department of Transportation announced Monday that it is recommending a fine of more than $9.6 million against Houston-based Panther Operating Company for a November 2023 deepwater oil spill off the coast of Louisiana.

The penalty is the result of an investigation by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration and the recommended levy of $9,622,054 is described as the “largest civil penalty ever proposed” by the agency, which oversees the operation of the nation’s 3.3 million-mile pipeline transportation system.