Fire breaks out on Gulf of Mexico rig after well blowout, facility evacuated
TomoNews US
2015-05-14
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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, according to an official statement. 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-metre exclusion zone has been enforced around the well.
The Federal Aviation Administration is restricting aircraft to no lower than 2,000 feet above the area.
Coast Guard cutter Pontano has arrived near the rig and another, Cypress, is enroute.
As yet there is no word on how or when the well will be shut down.
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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, according to an official statement. 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-metre exclusion zone has been enforced around the well.
The Federal Aviation Administration is restricting aircraft to no lower than 2,000 feet above the area.
Coast Guard cutter Pontano has arrived near the rig and another, Cypress, is enroute.
As yet there is no word on how or when the well will be shut down.
TomoNews is your daily source for top animated news. We've combined animation and video footage with a snarky personality to bring you the biggest and best stories from around the world.
For news that's fun and never boring, visit our channel:
https://www.youtube.com/user/TomoNewsUS
Subscribe to stay updated on all the top stories:
http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=TomoNewsUS
Stay connected with us here:
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Twitter @tomonewsus http://www.twitter.com/TomoNewsUS
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