By Tatyana Rocha, LuxEco Marketing Assistant
At around 8:30 am PST on September 2, 2010, an oil rig caught on fire approximately 90 miles south of Vermilion Bay near the Louisiana coast. No one was killed during the explosion and all 13 crew members are accounted for, with one minor injury.
There is currently no evidence of an oil spill or oil sheen nor any visible leaks. The platform is owned by Mariner Energy and was not producing oil or gas.
The cause of the fire is not yet known and a full investigation will be done with a briefing on September 1o. Despite earlier reports, Mariner Energy states that, the fire was not a result of an explosion; it started after a safety shut-off at one of their seven wells.
Soon after reports surfaced, Mariner’s stock fell 5%. Apache Corporation’s stock, the company expected to buy Mariner also fell 1.8%.
To compare, the oil rig BP leased was 5,000 feet under water when it exploded and caused one of the hugest oil spills in history back in April. BP’s incident killed 11 crew members and leaked over 200 million gallons of oil.
For further information and updates about the Mariner Energy oil rig explosion visit CNN.com
