US Coast Guard is searching the Gulf of Mexico for at least 11 oil workers missing after an explosion and fire on an off-shore drilling platform.
The Deepwater Horizon rig was still burning hours after the blast on Tuesday night, 84km (52 miles) south-east of the Louisiana port of Venice.
Transocean Ltd provided an update this morning regarding the fire and explosion onboard its semisubmersible drilling rig Deepwater Horizon. The incident occurred April 20, 2010 at approximately 10:00 p.m. central time in the United States Gulf of Mexico. The rig was located approximately 41 miles offshore Louisiana on Mississippi Canyon block 252.
The rig was staffed with a 126 member crew, 11 remain missing and 115 have been safely evacuated. The ongoing search and rescue effort is being coordinated among Transocean’s Emergency and Family Response Team, the lease operator, BP Exploration & Production, Inc., and the U.S. Coast Guard.
The rig continues to burn and Transocean, BP and the U.S. Coast Guard are actively pursuing various methods to stem the flow of hydrocarbons that appear to be fueling the fire. The rig is being monitored continually for stability. The U.S. Coast Guard has contingency plans in the event environmental risk escalates.
The cause of the fire and explosion is unknown at this time. An investigation into the cause of the incident and assessment of the damage will be ongoing in the days or weeks to come.
Transocean is the world’s largest offshore drilling contractor and provider of drilling management services worldwide. With a fleet of 140 mobile offshore drilling units plus three ultra-deepwater units under construction, the company’s fleet is considered one of the most modern and versatile in the world due to its emphasis on technically demanding segments of the offshore drilling business. Its worldwide fleet is more than twice the size of the next-largest competitor. The company owns or operates a contract drilling fleet of 46 High-Specification Floaters (Ultra-Deepwater, Deepwater and Harsh-Environment semisubmersibles and drillships), 26 Midwater Floaters, 10 High-Specification Jackups, 55 Standard Jackups and other assets utilized in the support of offshore drilling activities worldwide.
BP today offered its full support to drilling contractor Transocean Ltd. and its employees after fire caused Transocean’s semisubmersible drilling rig Deepwater Horizon to be evacuated overnight, saying it stood ready to assist in any way in responding to the incident.
Group Chief Executive Tony Hayward said: “Our concern and thoughts are with the rig personnel and their families. We are also very focused on providing every possible assistance in the effort to deal with the consequences of the incident.”
BP, which operates the licence on which Transocean’s rig was drilling an exploration well, said it was working closely with Transocean and the U.S. Coast Guard, which is leading the emergency response, and had been offering its help – including logistical support.
Transocean reported the fire earlier today on the rig, located approximately 41 miles offshore Louisiana on Mississippi Canyon block 252, saying that a “substantial majority” of the 126 personnel on board were safe, but some crew members remained unaccounted for. A number of personnel were reported to be injured.
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