Another Gulf oil rig explodes off La. coast

[Dark Knight]

Dark Knight- Just returned from a long hiatus from WS. So glad to see you are still here! Prayers to all who were injured. L

Well HI THERE! Welcome back to WS!!!!!:woohoo:

 

[Dark Knight]

The oil is definitely spreading:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_gulf_rig_explosion

 

[Belinda]

The rig is a fixed platform that was in production at the time of the fire, according to a homeland security operational update obtained by The Associated Press.

The update said the platform was producing 58,800 gallons of oil and 900,000 cubic feet of gas per day. The platform can store 4,200 gallons of oil.

From Dark Knight's link. BBM - So in other words homeland security doesn't have the slightest fricking idea what wells are pumping and which are not. Ridiculous. I would think after the disaster we just went through, they would have a better handle on this. Guess not.

 

[Sleuthster]

Hello, Mr and Ms Government People that we elected....Can you put down the cigars and martinis and pay attention to the news???? There has to be something ya'll can do to prevent this..

I can't believe there was another one. I hope that the crew are alright...

 

[Kimberlyd125]

Praying this is not as large a scale disaster as the BP fiasco. Praying for the gulf states, in particular Louisiana

And we thank you. Don't know how much more my great state can take.
Praying hard!!!!

 

[Kimberlyd125]

I haven't read all of the news reports but what are the odds of this without some sort of tampering? My suspicions have become aroused.

That was my first though too ziggy.

 

[Zoe Bogart]

Update from the Coast Guard at WWL-TV:

http://www.wwltv.com/news/local/Coa...-explosion-south-of-Grand-Isle-102065593.html

Posted on September 2, 2010 at 10:09 AM
Updated today at 2:40 PM

An explosion on an oil platform south of Vermilion Bay sent the 13 people on board into the water Thursday morning around 9:30 a.m. All 13 of the people were rescued and all have been sent to Terrebonne General Medical Center [in Houma, Louisiana - ak], though only one reportedly was injured in the incident, which happened 100 miles south of Vermillion Bay.

Apache spokesman Bob Dye said the platform is in shallow water. The platform was identified as Vermilion 308 A, according to Mariner.

"Mariner has notified and is working with regulatory authorities in response to this incident. 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," said Bill Mintz, a spokeman for Apache, in a statement.

Responding to an oil spill in shallow water is much easier than in deepwater, where crews depend on remote-operated vehicles access equipment on the sea floor.


Note: Hospital location added by aksleuth

Good news - no one was killed and it's location is in shallow water.

 

[essies]

http://www.culturemap.com/newsdetai...energy-the-houston-company-enron-and-bp-ties/
FIRE IN THE GULF
Who is Mariner Energy? Houston firm that owns the latest oil rig to explode has Enron and BP ties
snip-
Mariner's website includes information about their exploration, growth and acquisition models, including that:

Our exploration program is designed to facilitate organic growth through exploration in a wide variety of drilling projects, including higher-risk, high-impact projects that have the potential to create substantial value for our stockholders.
It feels like DEJA VU!!!:banghead:

 

[Zoe Bogart]

Gov. Jindal: Conflicting reports on new oil platform explosion

Dave Cohen Reporting

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal says the platform's owner reported that the platform was "shut in."

"Officials with Mariner tell us that there were seven active wells on the production platform," the governor announced. "They said one of those seven was said to have caught fire."

Jindal says Mariner claimed they were able to stop oil and gas from flowing through all of the wells.

"The company says that all seven are shut in right now, but again we have not independently verified that," stressed the governor. He also pointed out reports of oil in the water. "There have been initial reports of a sheen one nautical mile by 100 feet."

Listen to his speech at link

http://www.wwl.com/Jindal--Conflicting-reports-on-new-oil-platform-ex/8061274


The governor said they were getting contradictory assessment from crews flying over the scene.

 

[Zoe Bogart]

I haven't read all of the news reports but what are the odds of this without some sort of tampering? My suspicions have become aroused.

It's not "unusual" for oil rig accidents to happen. By that, I mean, they aren't as rare as people living away from the coast may believe. Unfortunately, they happen. The BP explosion was massive and got worldwide attention because of the problems with the oil spill. Normally, accidents or explosions are mentioned on the news once or twice and then it disappears from the national news.

I'm thinking "tampering" is probably not likely, but not impossible. Human error, mechanical error, energy build up, that sort of thing are the normal causes.

Dealing with oil, gas, anything in the petroleum industry, is a dangerous job. There are always risks.

 

[jjenny]

I haven't read all of the news reports but what are the odds of this without some sort of tampering? My suspicions have become aroused.

What are the odds? My guess is, pretty good.
From incident with the BP well, it's clear to me that many things can go wrong and sometimes they do. I really think more safety measures are needed and better government oversight.

 

[legalmania]

In my opinion this is domestic terrorism, it is just happening to much. They know Americans will complain for a couple of months and then forget, that's how they keep getting away with it. We need to be like the families of 911 demand an independent committee to investigate this. The second thing that needs to be done is to end the demand for fossil fuels. My son is going to school and leaning all about solar panels and using the ground for heat and cooling a home. These will be the jobs of the future. We are past the need for oil we just need Americans to join in and demand that we open factories and built it here. I wanna start seeing Made In America again.

 

[mysticrose]

Offshore Oil Platform Explodes in Gulf of Mexico, But No Leak Found
Thirteen Workers Survived, Coast Guard Says the Fire Is Out

257 comments By EMILY FRIEDMAN
Sept. 2, 2010

An explosion on an offshore oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico early today ignited a fire that caused workers to evacuate into the water, but the U.S. Coast Guard said that all the workers survived and there are no oil leaks reported near the platform.

The Supreme Court was asked whether Exxon must pay for the 1989 disaster.The cause of the explosion is not yet known, but the 13 workers who were photographed floating in the ocean waiting to be rescued have been accounted for. They were airlifted to Terrebone General Medical Center in Houma, La.

U.S. Coast Capt. Peter Troedsson said none of the workers had serious injuries and the fire has been extinguished.

"The fire is out, and there are no reports of visible sheen in the water," Troedsson said at a press conference this afternoon. "There are no reports of leaks, but we continue to investigate."

Earlier reports from the U.S. Coast Guard had suggested that an oily sheen was seen near the site, sparking fears of another oil spill like the BP's Deepwater Horizon Spill, just east of this explosion

http://abcnews.go.com/US/oil-rig-explodes-gulf-mexico/story?id=11544098&page=1

 

[grayjay]

People don't need a moral compass when they just use the legal one to decide everything. This is the result of that kind of thinking. What can go wrong? It isn't even the question. How much will it cost us if something goes wrong? Closer. Can we get laws changed so we have no liability? Bingo!

 

[cuppy199]

Im happy everyone is going to be ok but it breaks my heart for the sea creatures havent they suffered enough by are greed :snooty: Its not like they have a choice :furious:

 

[Nova]

I haven't read all of the news reports but what are the odds of this without some sort of tampering? My suspicions have become aroused.

Of course sabotage is a possibility. But I suspect we'll find the real "conspiracy" here is lack of oversight of the oil industry, something that has been lacking for many years now. Certainly the Bush admin was notorious for just assuming industries would police themselves and even write their own regulatory rules, but there's been plenty of neglect by the Dems as well.

The next time we're tempted to rant about the dangers of "big government" (and, yes, legislators are often corrupt and bureaucracies can be frustrating), let's remember these examples of what happens when the oil industry is allowed to operate with minimal government oversight.

The idea that large corporations are more efficient than public departments is a myth. The notion that they are "moral" is worse: a deliberate fraud.

 

[Kimberlyd125]

Another oil rig catches fire in the Gulf
http://www.wafb.com/Global/story.asp?S=13125485

MORGAN CITY, LA (WAFB) - Another oil rig platform in the Gulf of Mexico fell victim to fire Thursday morning.

According to the U.S. Coast Guard, a fire sparked on a rig 75 miles south of Morgan City around 8:55 a.m.

Officials said no one was on board the platform at the time and no injuries were reported.

They added the rig was a non-producing oil platform.

The fire has been put out.

The Coast Guard said the rig is owned by Mariner Energy.

Mariner also owned the platform that caught fire last week in the Gulf.

 

[Kimberlyd125]

http://www.wwltv.com/news/Abandoned-oil-platform-owned-Mariner-Energy-has-small-fire-102540174.html

MORGAN CITY, La. – Another platform in the Gulf of Mexico owned by the same company that had a platform erupted into flames Sept. 2 had a small fire 90 miles south of Morgan City.

 

[Kimberlyd125]

http://www.wdsu.com/news/24940699/detail.html

NEW ORLEANS -- A fire at a Mariner Energy platform in the Gulf of Mexico has been extinguished, Department of Homeland Security officials told WDSU News.

It was the second fire on a platform belonging to that company in the past eight days.

The non-producing structure is located about 75 miles south of Morgan City, La., near Vermillion Bay. The Coast Guard is on the scene investigating and report no signs of pollution.

 

[justice77]

When I saw the name of this post I had to take a double look...what the heck is happening?? Thank goodness nobody was hurt but I really hope some SERIOUS investigating starts to take place!!!!