Beclecto

A fixed  platform 80 miles off the louisiana coast has caught fire and exploded.  The rig is located around 200 miles west of BP”s Deepwater Horizon location.  Details are sketchy at the moment with the Coast Guard in route to rescue 13 rig workers from the water.  All rig workers are accounted for with  one of the 13 is injured.

The “Vermillion 380″ is a fixed manned production platform that does not perform drilling operations.  Owned by Mariner Energy out of Texas, it is located in the South Timbalier Block 316 in 450 ft  deep water.

According the company’s 10-K Report:

At year-end 2009 estimated proved reserves attributed to our Vermillion 380 field were 33.2 Bcfe, consisting of approximately 47% oil and NGLs and 53% natural gas. During 2008 and 2009, we drilled five wells and added additional production capacity on the “A” platform. Hurricane Ike damaged the structure with the rig on the platform, causing us to suspend drilling while underwater structural repairs were made. We brought the platform back on production at reduced rates until the facilities upgrade was finished. The platform is currently producing approximately 28 MMcfe per day. Our working interest in this block is 100%. Production at Vermillion 380 was approximately 1.1 Bcfe in 2009.

According to the Department of homeland security, the rig is sitting is 2500 feet.  The company states it sits in 450 feet of water.

According to AP, seven helicopters, two airplanes and three Cutters were en route from Coast Guard stations in New Orleans and Houston,

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