A gas platform explosion has transpired at a rig within the Gulf of Mexico. Nobody perished while a single person was injured. There is still no answer as to why the blast happened. On the shoreline of Louisiana, near Vermillion Bay, the blast happened. Mariner Energy owned the platform that is hundreds of miles away from the gas rig that exploded in April owned by British Petroleum. The Vermillion oil rig was luckily in very shallow water. This is much distinctive from the Deepwater platform that exploded within the Gulf of Mexico.
One injured in explosion
Only one person was injured in the oil platform surge. First, the drilling platform exploded. As that was happening, 13 individuals went overboard. After 9 a.m., the new York Times reports the Coast Guard got reports. These reports indicated that a gas rig was on fire. Helicopters and Coast Guard vessels made their way to the place. It was an hour before they arrived. All 13 workers that went into the water following the blast were rescued and accounted for. Only one of the rig workers was injured, which is nothing short of miraculous, thinking about that the Deepwater oil rig explosion claimed 11 lives.
Waters were shallow
The Deepwater Horizon oil rig was drilling in deep water. The Vermillion Oil Rig 380 wasn’t. The Vermillion oil rig sits atop only 340 feet of water, about 100 miles (80 nautical miles) off the Louisiana coast. CNN reports the oil platform was producing 1,400 barrels of gas per day. Also, 9.2 million cubic feet of natural gas was being produced each day. The Coast Guard is trying first to get the fire out. Immediately following the news of the explosion, shares for Mariner Energy dropped by 5 percent.
Many concerned about drilling offshore
For years there has been an offshore drilling debate. It looks really dangerous and has too numerous risks to the environment every time a gas explodes. Bp is one of few corporations to step up and take responsibility for its oil spill. Most businesses do not meaning working class end up paying for fix it all.
Additional reading
CNN
edition.cnn.com/2010/US/09/02/louisiana.oil.platform.explosion/?hpt=T2#fbid=QdDzKvaTDgY and wom=false
NY Times
nytimes.com/2010/09/03/us/03rig.html?partner=rss and emc=rss
