RPT-Ship collision shuts Miss. River at New Orleans

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HOUSTON, July 23 (Reuters) - A ship-barge collision and subsequent fuel oil spill closed the Mississippi River at New Orleans early Wednesday, the Coast Guard said.

The river remained closed between Mile Marker 99 and Mile Marker 80 as of 10 a.m. CDT (1500 GMT) and a 12-mile sheen spread down river, a Coast Guard spokesman said.

There was no immediate impact on shipping from the closure after the 1:30 a.m. CDT (0630 GMT) collision in which the MV Tintomara cut a barge in half, a Coast Guard spokesman said.

The accident, in which a barge being pushed by the tugboat Mel Oliver spilled at least 419,000 gallons of No. 6 fuel oil, happened under the Crescent City Connection Bridge.

A Coast Guard environmental strike team was on scene, along with helicopters and a Coast Guard vessel.

"They're still developing any kind of salvage and cleanup plan," the spokesman said. "The barge did split in half, but it did not sink." (Reporting by Bruce Nichols)