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Subscribe to RSSEleven people were injured in the production platform blast and oil spillage was minimal, according to the Coast Guard. NBC's Brian Williams reports.
Updated at 5:56 p.m. ET: Coast Guard crews continued searching Saturday evening for two workers missing after an explosion and fire aboard a Gulf of Mexico oil rig on Friday that was apparently triggered by workers using a blow torch to cut a pipe.
Eleven workers on the rig were airlifted to hospitals after the accident some 17 miles southeast of Grand Isle, La. Four of the injured were in critical condition.
The fire was extinguished a few hours after the blast and Coast Guard Capt. Ed Cubanski told reporters that the platform appeared to be structurally sound. Twenty-two people had been aboard the rig at the time of the accident.
The search and rescue operation is making use of an 87-foot surface vessel assisted by a helicopter, the U.S. Coast Guard told NBC News Saturday night.
The platform was not actively producing oil and a sheen spotted in the water was probably from an estimated 28 gallons of oil that could have spilled when a pipe ruptured, Cubanski said Friday.
It does not appear the incident could lead to a major environmental disaster, added Coast Guard Capt. Peter Gautier.
Gerald Herbert / AP
Damage from the fire aboard a Gulf of Mexico oil rig is seen Friday after the fire was put out.
He said initial reports suggested that the explosion occurred when maintenance workers using a torch cut into a pipe with oil inside.
The platform is a shallow-water production platform, unlike BP's Macondo well that blew out in 2010 in mile-deep water. The Macondo explosion killed 11 workers and caused the worst offshore oil spill in U.S. history.
The owner of the platform is Houston-based Black Elk Energy. On its website, the company stated that this month it was starting to drill the first of 23 new wells in the Gulf of Mexico.
Last Sunday, The Houston Chronicle named Black Elk Energy one of the top small businesses to work for in Houston based on employee surveys.
In August, the oil and gas company was named one of the fastest-growing privately held companies by Inc. Magazine.
The explosion came a day after BP settled criminal charges in the Macondo disaster by agreeing to pay $4.5 billion in penalties. It still faces up to $20 billion in civil fines.
Black Elk Energy was investigated last August by the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Regulation and Enforcement for an incident in which two employees were dropped 60 feet into Gulf of Mexico waters due to a crane malfunction, Reuters reported. No injuries were reported.
Black Elk also paid a $300,000 civil fine in September, related to a site inspection in 2011 of one of its facilities that revealed it was not complying with regulations.
Federal data also shows a small fire occurred at a Black Elk platform in February of 2011 in the Gulf of Mexico, but was quickly contained.
The company's chief executive, John Hoffman, formerly worked for BP Amoco, according to a report earlier this year in the Houston Business Journal. Hoffman founded Black Elk in 2007, the report said.
Friday's incident could reignite a national debate over safety standards for offshore drilling. After the Horizon spill, the government overhauled offshore drilling regulations and imposed a ban on drilling that lasted for several months.
"BP and the government may have settled criminal matters yesterday, but today's incident shows that increasing safety of offshore drilling and for hard-working men and women is still not a settled matter," Rep. Ed Markey, the ranking Democrat on the House National Resources Committee, said in a statement.
NBC's Edgar Zuniga Jr. as well as Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Uh oh. I think this is where I came in.
When we destroy the earth, we will not need affordable alternatives. Furthermore, there should be a moratorium on news oil rigs, especially in the Arctic. Instead of trillions of dollars to wars that have only alienated people against the USA, that money needs to be directed towards alternative energy, which is being successfully done in other countries such as Norway. Also, instead of blaming politicians, reduce your own energy expenditures. If you do not believe in global warming, try reading scientific journals, instead of headline grabbing trash.
Global Warming? Real. Human caused? Unprovable. We have reducing our energy expenditures since the late 1970s. Trillions have already been pumped into alternatives and they are hardly any closer to being able to replace hydrocarbons than they were in the 1970s. How much more money do we pour into them with so little return?
I agree-but there was a time when tobacco being bad for you was unprovable. On which side should we err-the side that says "keep smoking and promoting cigarettes until we have absolute proof they are bad for you" or "quit now just in case." I appreciate that "quitting" energy is not the same thing or as easy-but we should look at the choices the same. There is enough reason to question if it is man made-so we should behave in a manner that is respectful that it might be.
I disagree with the statement that there is little return. We have made strides forward, and stopping them now is foolish. You say that we have been working on it since the 1970's like that is such a long time. In terms of research on something like this-it really isn't.
From your other posts-you seem like a centrist. I may be a little to your left-but here are my thoughts...
The environmental lobby should come up with the way (s) it would be best for us to keep the lights on in the short term while we look for sustainable energy. Pointing out that coal, gas etc...are bad is not helpful when we still need energy. Appreciating that all sources of energy currently available have flaws-which are the safest-then, work to make those safe.
For example-most environmentalists are against fracking-yet natural gas is far better environmentally than most other sources of energy. So-rather than protest fracking-work with the government and companies to make it as safe as possible. Stop aiming for utopia-to achieve the safest solution to meet our needs.
However, conservation and long term research into sustainable energy also needs to be part of the conversation. As CHina and India emerge-the demand for energy is not going to go down....You claim we have spent too much money already-but think of how much it will save in the future. I may not be here to see it-but my grandkids (I don't have kids of my own yet to give you a timeline) may never have to worry about energy. In their lifetime-there may be no explosions like today, no fighting over oil, and no worries about the cost. We need to invest in this today-the way our ancestors invested in the infastructure we use today.
I'm betting the GOP and their Fox propaganda channel will now start screaming for less regulations and higher subsidies to oil companies.
Did they ever stop that line of reasoning?
Zooming in with Google Earth, near Grand Isle and other shorelines, what are those circular patches, much darker than the surrounding waters? (Dated Images, available, but default image show spots).
DRILL BABY DRILL right? Wrong people-- are this ignorant not to realize that we do not have infinite resources and this society will collapse under its own weight especially with this obesity epidemic going on. But god forbid we give out free contraception lol
So? Stop drilling and watch society collapse much sooner!
Seems we are doomed. The children will taken away because the parents can't feed them and the parents will be put in prison for child neglect and the children in FEMA camps to brainwashed to fight their bloody wars.
Invest in oil and trains because next year water will need to transported because of the drought. You may get rich enough to afford to buy some food. Maybe guns and ammo too...
Where are the SAFETY RULES ??? I hope they investigate this MESS.
What a great excuse to raise gas prices. You know the oil companies will capitalize on this tragedy. It's what they do best!
DIG BABY DIG!!! Let's keep stuffing money into the U.S. Oil Cartel's pockets (a couple Republican Presidents and other political figures), by killing workers, polluting our swamplands that are the kidneys to the biological system, and polluting our air. I hope "Less Regulation" was being sarcastic. Everyone cries they don't want the government regulating everything. This is what happens when they don't. Just as it did with Bank deregulation in the 80's. All that they want to see is regulations for is women's wombs.
My husband works on rigs. In fact he is the boss and in charge of the full rig operations. He only works internationally now, however started in the gulf many years ago. The rig management and workers are highly trained in safety procedures, they have to take ongoing schooling and do safety drills every year and on a regular basis on the rigs as well. The motto is SAFETY FIRST. This is a terrible accident. My prayers go out to the families of the injured and those that did not make it.
This appears to be an accident. Accidents happen , sadly lives were lost.
The BP issue was clearly an order from the top to ignore proper safety procedures to replace a valve and they were being greedy to get the maximum production with minimal expense. BP may have started to pay but the decision makers are all lawyered up and will never be held accountable- they should be tried for manslaughter.
By Monday Sean Hannity will figure out a way to twist this and blame it on Obama
Here we go again. And people wonder why people are against drilling on our shore lines. Just what the Caribbean needs, another leak before its even recovered from the last one.
Condolences to the victims family.
There are about 5,000 rigs in the Gulf.
I would expect at least one incident a year.
Except for the commenters sympathizing with the human factor, most of the other comments reflect as expected a vast wasteland. Like "lets find alternatives to oil" - gee that's a new idea that nobody thought of before! Energy sources alternative to oil will only be supplementary because oil gives us the biggest bang for the buck and only oil will provide what the world needs to survive and grow, like necessary fuels, products, etc..too numerous to mention and without which everyday life would be much less convenient. Throughout the past, we've always had accidents like this - just because they happen during your lifetime doesn't make them subject to more concern or any less avoidable. Putting a stop to everything that's dangerous is not the answer. If that's the answer, let's get rid of driving, car accidents kill tens of thousands Americans every year! Drive, baby, drive!
In principle it would be possible to combine carbon dioxide from the air with water to create hydrocarbons that could be used to power motor vehicles. Of course it takes energy to do this, so in effect you're just taking another energy source (such as nuclear) and converting it (with a thermodynamic loss) into something you could use to drive your car. But as long as the primary source is not a fossil fuel, you have a truly carbon-neutral way to drive to work, since you'd take just as much carbon out of the air to make the fuel as you'd put back in when it's combusted. If you want to be really green, the primary source would be solar.
Until technology like this comes to fruition, we will need to rely on fossil fuel as the backbone of our daily energy producer. Soon I believe we can overcome the need for pumping oil from the earth.
I was in the heavy construction field for over thirty years. THERE ARE NO ACCIDENTS! There is a whole lot of human error, mostly caused by a supervisor trying do something on the cheap. Inexperienced workers is the next biggest cause. Here again we get back to M-O-N-E-Y! Experienced workers cost more money than those who are less experienced. Third is equipment failure. Using old worn out, improperly repaired or the wrong equipment for the job. See, it's cheaper to use that undersized crane than to use one with the capacity that gives you a margin of safety.
At least so far the blast is not damaging the ecology from what they say so that's one good thing.
We need more Deregulation and Tax Cuts! The Invisible Fist of the Free Market is just getting warmed up.
/angry snark
Why O why couldn't Sarah Palin have been on thet rig
This is no big deal (except to the workers and workers families) this kind of thing happens all the time and would
not even get a second glance had it not been for the BP disaster.
Oil field workers are always at risk and get paid for that risk.
This, from what I see so far seems to be a case of poor risk management.
You don't take a cutting torch to a pipeline that has residual fuel or gas in it, you purge it first.
There will be heads rolling in management and safety, but in this case the environment is safe.
All you folks who drive miles everyday need to just be quiet, pull into a gas station and fill up.
This is the way it will be until the last dinosaur turd is processed from the earth.
to weallhaveopinions:
why do you support killing people via war in the name of oil, refuse to help children who are in need of proper healthcare, refuse to help children who are hungry?
Well, let's try to put this into perspective (even though I was not the one you addressed).
Health care and health care products are produced using fuel and plastics of all kinds.
Almost EVERYTHING we use (including your keyboard your fingers are tapping on) is derived from oil.
Now, what whould you have us do?
I'd like to work on an oil rig. They make good money and produce something we all use.
This appears to be the result of human error and unless and until you regulate humans to never make a mistake, things like this will continue to happen. Whether it be on an oil rig or in a high rise building, numerous accidents occur because of welding or cutting. Sparks fly and fires happen. For once, let's all try to pull together and send prayers or well wishes or just plain good thoughts to those injured and the families of those who lost their lives.
still asking, how and what way can I work with you all?
AmericanGirl -- Do you have any idea how much money an oil rig worker makes? I'm guessing you don't. Let's just say they are more than fairly compensated for their labors and for the inherent dangers of working on an oil rig. They work there by choice. No one is running into the swamps of Louisiana, rounding up all the young men and marching them off to oil rigs. These are highly sought after and lucrative positions. Not every workplace accident should be the rallying cry for more governmental regulation. Nor are accidents typically the result of big bad corporations refusing to take care of their employees; contrary to what you might think, it is not smart business practice to undercompensate employees and expose them to intentionally unsafe environments -- if you can't get people for your labor force, it's pretty hard to carry on production of whatever is making you money. Most of the time, workplace accidents are the result of simple human error. You can't regulate people.
Do you have any idea at all how much of the modern day conveniences you take for granted are the result of oil drilling? Do you have an iPhone or a computer? Those contain petroleum products. Are you drinking a nice cup of coffee right now? How do you think those beans got from point A to point B? Have you ever used an exercise band? Thank an oil worker. I could go on, but I won't. I'm sure you will though.
Mrs. Dorothy Parker, you are FOS! You, in your small mind, can not conceive of a world that can function without petroleum.
You are the one with the small mind.
In YOUR lifetime, and in your children's children's children's lifetime, we will not be able do do without petroleum.
I assure you, JCC, my mind is huge and my ability to comprehend complex issues is vast. Yours seems to be the small one. I didn't say I couldn't conceive of a world without petroleum products, those were your words. I am simply trying to make AmericanGirl (and you, apparently) take a good look at all of the ways we are dependent on petroleum and, by extension, the oil industry. It's not just gasoline, friend.
Oh, did not hear for a while about friends of war criminals cheney/dubya. Here they are again.