UPDATED: At 9 am CDT, a fire on the platform at South Vermilion Block 380 was reported. The production platform, owned and operated by Mariner Energy, is reported standing in about 340 feet of water. Mariner is in the process of merging into Apache Corp. At the time of the fire, there were 13 workers on the platform, all are accounted for and in the water in exposure suits. Current reports are that it was producting about 1700 barrels per day of oil. The last reported incident I can pick up on the BOEMRE site was a small leak in 2000.
This platform actually sits on the bottom, unlike deepwater facilities, that actually float. The production trees, valves and piping are all on the platform, making this easier to get under control than one with subsea facilities.
This platform actually sits on the bottom, unlike deepwater facilities, that actually float. The production trees, valves and piping are all on the platform, making this easier to get under control than one with subsea facilities. We'll be watching and report anything new we pick up.
Update: Mariner says the platform was in production at the time of the fire producing 1,400 barrels per day and about 9 million cubic feet of gas. All 13 workers were picked up out of the water and 10 are reportedly being treated at a hospital in Houma, Louisiana. There were apparently 7 wells producing to this platform, which also served as a pipeline hub transporting oil and gas to the beach. The emergency shut-in system worked, and the fire was put out.
Even though this incident was contained with a successful shut in, having yet another incident in the Gulf this close to the Deepwater Horizon disaster is Simply. Not. Good. Mariner is a well run company and has a good reputation, so, obviously, this was something of an anomaly. The problem, though, is that when you string a bunch of anomalies together, you get a trend. This accident also highlights just how dangerous this business can be, with dire consequences should even the smallest thing go wrong. This is a shallow water platform, one of the many that the industry said were safe and should not be subject to any regulatory reform. Obviously, that argument just went out the window. If there ended up being little or no spill, that will be a very good fact, but the heat (no pun intended) just got turned up on the industry.
We'll keep following.
I have read that this was nothing like the BP and things like this does happen. They got it under control and did what was needed to be done.
I believe we can cut back on oil, but we still need it.
They need to follow strict rules. Rules are there for a reason.
This is a dangerous job.
The water there is nearer 250 ft than 2500 ft. From what I've seen out there, Mariner is one of the bottom-feeders, operating on the cheap like many of the smaller companies. Cheap and safe aren't completely mutually exclusive, but close. Apache is probably the epitome of cheap in the GOM right now. We used to refer to CCOG as Cheap Cheap Oil & Gas, but even they couldn't hold a candle to Apache.
Obama's Gulf War –
"What's Another Oil Mishap?"
(Bobby Jindal's job stimulus plan)
What's another oil mishap, if it isn't BP's?
Just a small operator who aspires to be bad?
Not a deepwater devil defying oddsmakers.
With regard to risk taking? A mere undergrad,
Whose mishap's so common that we've barely noticed,
Drilling where Salazar's rules don't apply.
Shallow is easy. That's why there's so many,
But it's hard to tell which spill belongs to which guy.
At least Jindal's solved his job stimulus problem.
Drill 'em and spill 'em and bill 'em for berms
That thousands of locals rebuild and maintain,
Then with their profits buy him several more terms.
"Fire in the hole" is his rallying cry.
Alert the oil skimmers. His berms sank again.
Forget moratoriums. They'll drill when he says to.
Pigs play by his rules when they're in his pigpen.
You think that the White House won't quickly take notice?
How soon can Chu engineer BP's next blast?
Is Mitch? also behind BP p.l.c.'s blackmail?
All plans to outlaw them are threats of the past.
Bob Carlson
www.politicalboondoggles.com
On Twitter @PBoondoggles
9/1/10
To 'An Oil Platform Burns, Blanketing the Gulf With Angst'
To 'Bobby's Beach Berm Boondoggle verse'
To 'BP Says Limits on Drilling Imperil Oil Spill Payouts'
To 'Chu: The buck stops here'
To 'Mitch 'Just Say No' McConnell'
To 'British Petroleum Incompetence'
Hi 2lanelA....I totally agree with you and yes I use to feel the same way, I trusted every word the officials would said.
I think we need more Dudley DoRights out there. I would love to be able to think as I use to, that all the people in control are trustworthy. To bad not all officials are working for the betterment For the People and For this Country.
I am so shocked they have made a toxic waste out of the gulf, it will go into the atmosphere and effect eventually effect everyone in some way. Even themselves unless they have under ground homes and their own water and food supply.
Even simple things like orange juice from Florida, if those particles get on the plants, don't you think you will be getting some type of residue off them? Just because a person doesn't live on the gulf, that doesn't mean it won't infect them also in some way.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j87L5QKy2ms
Saw you on Maddow's show. Nice job per usual. Thanks for keeping us educated, which is more than I can say for our government. I used to think NOAA was trustworthy and the Coast Guard run by Dudley DoRights. I'll always treasure that false image I had of them.
If I had to guess what happen. I would guess that since the sea floor is not stable, there could have been Methane gasses under the rock formation and it blew the platform..This is just a wild guess. What would be the chances of methane gas to blow right under a platform?
Wonder if we will ever know what caused PB and this platform to blow?
I just want the gulf cleaned up of toxins, oil, the gulf stable, and no one else hurt.
Thinking that I might be asking for way to much.
Ah yes, the wingnuts already have all sorts of conspiracy theories going.
Obama did it to help him force his moratorium down our throats !
Obama did it to distract people from the Democrats sinking poll numbers !
Obama did it because......
Well I'm not going to copy and paste all of them, but I think the long time readers know where to go to get the craziest of the crazy wingnut conspiracy theories in town.
Having said that, I'm glad to see that all the workers get to go home to their families !
My hubby remarked this morning that there was no news available on this incident in the Gulf. But aha! I knew where to come for the straight skinny. Thanks, eljefe.
Another one in the gulf?...What are the odds??
Hope they are more honest and clean up the correct way.
Is it time to move to the moon?
Eljefe, I am so glad we have experts like you who can wade through all the bad news reports and give us the facts. I too heard a report this was a drilling situation in 2500 feet of water. Glad we have your expertise to depend on. Thank you.
They say this is a natural gas well, not oil? So much confusion, and of course the Tea Baggers are already saying it's sabotaged by environmental activist, it's Obama's fault...the usual Bull _hit.
Please keep us informed Bob. I trust your reporting/opinion much more than I do the hyped up reporting from the usual suspects.
hmmmm,
I'm glad you got this out so quickly, Bob. Mnay reports..like "Drilling Explosion" (Fox News) are already circulating. I suppose its possible that there was a workover rig there, but with only 13 people on board..I don't know.
Also, many reports are claiming that the water depth is 2500 ft. I looked at my charts and there's no way.