Details are still emerging, but here's some of what is being reported about the explosion of an offshore platform earlier today 80 miles south of Vermilion Bay, Louisiana in the Gulf of Mexico:
- The platform is in 340 feet of water and its 13 crew are alive, though one is injured.
- The platform is owned by Mariner Energy which says it successfully drilled a well there in Q309.
- The Coast Guard is leading the rescue operation.
- According to MSNBC, a company spokesman says there has been no "sheen" visible at the site of the explosion
- The platform issued a distress call at 9:00AM central time on Thursday, prompting the Coast Guard response.
- Although a well was recently drilled in the area, it is not currently producing oil or gas.
- As of noon central time, NOLA.com reported the platform was still on fire.
Ironically, just yesterday Mariner Energy staged a protest against the Obama administration's offshore drilling policy, saying the White House is "trying to break" the oil and gas industry while Republicans in Congress lashed out at the administration for "demonizing" oil and gas companies with policies like the deepwater drilling moratorium. Of course, the truth is that the moratorium hasn't had a major economic impact but it has helped strengthen safety standards which will in the long run help the industry. But enlightened self-interest isn't a concept these guys seem to have wrapped their minds around.
Update: Looks like there actually was active production at the platform, though it was natural gas, not oil. CNN:
Mariner Energy, owner of the production platform, said in a press release that no hydrocarbon spill has been reported after an initial flyover of the incident.
"Mariner has notified and is working with regulatory authorities in response to this incident," the statement said. "The cause is not known, and an investigation will be undertaken. During the last week of August 2010, production from this facility averaged approximately 9.2 million cubic feet of natural gas per day and 1,400 barrels of oil and condensate."
The company also said no injuries have been reported.
Join the discussion in marabout40's recommended diary, UPDATE: NATURAL GAS Platform Explodes in the Gulf of Mexico.