Oil platform explodes in Gulf...BP again
By spalladino
@spalladino (17891)
United States
September 2, 2010 12:31pm CST
Another oil rig, contracted by BP, explodes off the coast of Louisiana...more uncertainty about possible damage to the Gulf. Part of the article is posted below. The rest can be found at the link. Aren't you glad those things are still up and running?
[i]An oil and gas production platform has exploded 102 miles off the central coast of Louisiana, with 13 people overboard, including one injured, the Coast Guard said Thursday morning.
All 13 people have been accounted for, said Petty Officer Bill Colclough of the Coast Guard. All are headed to a hospital in Terrebonne Parish, he said.
Colclough told CNN that authorities are trying to determine the cause of the blast, and that the platform apparently is still on fire from the explosion. Asked whether an oil leak has resulted from the explosion, he said the platform "was not actively producing any product."
"We do not know if there are any additional concerns of pollution," Colclough said.
However, the Coast Guard headquarters in Washington reported that the platform, fixed in 340 feet of water, was in production at the time of the fire. The type of operations was not immediately clear.
"This was an oil and gas production platform in approximately 340 feet of water, 102 miles offshore Louisiana (80 nautical miles)," said Melissa Schwartz, spokeswoman for the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement, which replaced the Minerals Management Service.[/i]
http://www.mylot.com/o/newdiscussion.aspx?q=13_77250
4 people like this
13 responses
@dragon54u (31636)
• United States
2 Sep 10
Maybe I don't understand something, but how could they be in production when Mr. Obama has a moratorium in effect? Doesn't that prohibit any drilling or other type of activity geared toward drilling and bringing up oil?
I saw a 60 Minutes interview of one of the workers on the BP well and he was saying lots of corners were cut and a key part malfunctioned and they were ordered to ignore it. I wonder how many others operate like that and if it will ever be proven to be negligence?
I don't understand, with all the laws we have governing the safety of oil rigs, why something like this could happen twice in less than six months, let alone happen at all. Thank God everyone escaped this one alive! I hope there were no injuries, I just heard no fatalities.
2 people like this
@anniepa (27955)
• United States
2 Sep 10
You're right, Zeph, it only is for new drilling. I think that's something many people don't realize when they talk about how many jobs would be affected by the moratorium. It would only affect 30-some operations out of over 3000.
I think they ALL need to be stopped until they can be thoroughly inspected.
Annie
1 person likes this
@ZephyrSun (7381)
• United States
2 Sep 10
I might be wrong but, the moratorium is only for new drilling.
2 people like this
@ZephyrSun (7381)
• United States
2 Sep 10
annie we don't inspect our food why would inspect oil rigs?
1 person likes this
@jb78000 (15139)
•
2 Sep 10
you get an awful lot of things like this happening. this probably wouldn't even have hit the news if it hadn't been for the deepwater horizon spill. anyway nobody was killed and it didn't start another leak. like to see bp's explanation this time though.
2 people like this
@spalladino (17891)
• United States
2 Sep 10
There have been minor incidents in the past that we've heard about down here in the south but, you're right, the news most likely didn't go national or international. When the platform explodes, though, and the crew is forced to evacuate instead of staying to put out any fires...it's a big deal. This rig currently isn't pumping oil but if it falls over like the Deep Horizon did and whatever passes for cut off operations don't work, we'll be right back where we started.
2 people like this
@ZephyrSun (7381)
• United States
2 Sep 10
Drill Baby Drill!
On the bright side it was on the shelf so it won't be as hard to cap as last time.
I like this "We do not know if there are any additional concerns of pollution"
Pretty soon the people that live in the gulf can just go to the beach to get their gas. Maybe that's what BP should do is move a refinery on the water front. The workers can sun bathe while taking their lunch break.
2 people like this
@reckon21 (3479)
• Philippines
2 Sep 10
Another nature destruction that is uncalled for. isn't oil done enough damaged already to our environment. Is there any other choice so that we no longer have to depend on oil because sometimes the good it brings is not worth of the damaged it brings to us and to the environment as well. It's a warning already for everybody when will it ever end.
I don't like reading some negative news about oil leakage because it's pretty much annoying already. I am sure there are some alternatives for oil that we may begun to discover or implemented so that we can get out from the clutches of oil forever.
@LaurenInLA (2270)
• United States
2 Sep 10
I just saw the headline in the newspaper this morning. Haven't had a chance yet to hear any news coverage. This is absolutely unbelievable.
1 person likes this
@spalladino (17891)
• United States
3 Sep 10
I still haven't had the chance to hear any further coverage except for bits and pieces on the radio since I was out but it looks like it wasn't as bad as first feared.
@anniepa (27955)
• United States
3 Sep 10
I couldn't believe my ears when I heard this reported this morning. Since then I understand they've changed their stories on several things. There had been an earlier report by the Coast Guard I believe of a mile long oil sheen but then that was denied by the company spokesperson and later denied by the Coast Guard. Who knows what the truth is.
I find this very disturbing regardless of the fact nobody was seriously injured or killed and even if there isn't any environmental damage this time. Maybe the next time they won't be so lucky, or the time after that or the time after that...and so on and so on... With tens of thousands of rigs and platforms in the Gulf who knows how many of them will blow up or catch fire at some point? How many corners have been cut by the companies that own and operate them?
Nope, I'm not glad those things are still up and running! I understand the Gulf states depend on the oil and gas industry for a large portion of their economy but can they really afford another accident even a fraction of how bad the BP disaster was?
Annie
@jb78000 (15139)
•
3 Sep 10
accidents like this happen all the time. with no people killed and no oil spilt normally you wouldn't have even heard of it. mind you you'd have thought bp would have been improving safety measures for at least the next few months (after which they could probably assume that the media at least had forgotten about the deepwater horizon spill)
1 person likes this
@Hatley (163781)
• Garden Grove, California
3 Sep 10
hi spallasdino this is becoming scary, is someone sabotaging these oil
platforms? I am glad no one was killed and hope that there will not be another huge oil spill again. So we do not know what was being produced or if there is concerns of oil leakage.Sounds like BP could be in trouble. I will be interested to know more about it tommorow.
@spalladino (17891)
• United States
4 Sep 10
Hi Hatley! It seems that the original report, which I *thought* I linked the discussion to, was mistaken about BP leasing this rig so that's good news for them. There were reports of sheen on the water in the area but it's unclear...or in dispute...whether it's coming from this rig or from the other rig.
@paula27661 (15811)
• Australia
4 Sep 10
My goodness, not again! This is yet another terrible accident which fortunately did not kill anyone except another bit of the environment. BP has a lot to answer for. I look forward to learning more about this and how the injured person is. BP is making a right mess and obviously need to have better monitoring The Coast Guard claimed the platform was not in production but BP says it wasn’t...As I said I look forward to learning more about this...
@shira0524 (482)
• United States
2 Sep 10
The oil rig that exploded was the Vermillion 380, owned by Mariner Energy, which has nothing at all to do with BP. Also, it wasn't producing oil or gas products at the time, is an old, non-producing oil field and is in only 350 feet of water. That means that it's very unlikely there will be any further oil spilled and every article I've read has stated that as well. I'm not happy about another accident of course, but I also don't want to add to bad hype when that seems to be what's happening, since this is so soon after the Deepwater Horizon accident.
1 person likes this
@spalladino (17891)
• United States
3 Sep 10
Wow, how did I end up with the link I ended up posting? 
The article I cited was an early report so it's good to know that this wasn't another problem with BP.
The article I cited was an early report so it's good to know that this wasn't another problem with BP.1 person likes this
@epicure35 (2814)
• United States
3 Sep 10
It is sad and disheartening to hear of such a horrible occurrence. I am so grateful that there was apparently no loss of life.
However, given the importance of oil in our world and in the end-times scenario, coupled with the intense political climate and politicking around this vital issue, there are many questions in my mind re the origins and durations of these occurrences.
I'm sure there are many stories that remain untold, especially by the Mainstream Media.
@anniepa (27955)
• United States
4 Sep 10
The point is we have to get to the point where oil is NOT so important to our world! I shouldn't even acknowledge your words about the "end-times scenario" but exactly what are you implying? That we shouldn't look for alternative forms of energy because you think oil will or even should play a part in the end of the world?
I hope they halt production and drilling completely in the Gulf of Mexico until each and every rig and platform is throughly inspected and that the media does its job and makes sure all the "stories are told".
Annie
@epicure35 (2814)
• United States
4 Sep 10
No, annie, I am NOT implying that we shouldn't look for alternative forms of energy. I wholeheartedly think we should.
My point re the "end-times" and current political scenario is that the US is in a strangle-hold by Arab and other nefarious interests (even within our country), as in CFR, NWO, etc., intent on destroying our sovereignty and using oil as just one means of bringing us to our knees.
@manilatop10 (371)
• Philippines
3 Sep 10
While I believe that the risks of Nuclear Power are greater, the lessons learned from BP should serve as a renewed impetus to push forward on alternative energy sources, even if patented and controlled by big oil.
