Originally published on July 24, 2013

A shallow-water well in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Louisiana blew out early on Tuesday, leading to a gas leak and fire, an official statement said. The well caught fire late on Tuesday. It is not clear what caused the fire to ignite.

According to Reuters, "Hercules Offshore, which owns the jackup rig that was drilling to prepare the Walter Oil & Gas well for production, said the company was working to regain control of the well. The well is about 55 miles offshore in 154 feet of water. The U.S. Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement said the well was flowing gas but no oil was being released. It added there was a "light sheen" a half mile by 50 feet across that was dissipating. Authorities have tightened safety regulations since the BP Plc 2010 Macondo blowout and oil spill that spewed more than 4 million barrels of crude into the Gulf."

Reports said a 500 m exclusion zone has been enforced around the well. As yet there is no word on how or when the well will be shut down.

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