Re: Louisiana - Oil rig fire in Gulf of Mexico: 2 crew members missing, 4 listed in critical condition
Re: Louisiana - Oil rig fire in Gulf of Mexico: 2 crew members missing, 4 listed in critical condition
Press Release ? West Delta, 16, November 2012
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact:
Leslie Hoffman ? Black Elk Energy Offshore Operations, LLC
lhoffman@blackelkenergy.com
Houston, TX ? 16 November 2012 ? Black Elk Energy Offshore Operations, LLC confirmed that a fire ignited Friday morning on the company?s platform located at West Delta 32 Block, located in the Gulf of Mexico approximately 17 miles southeast of Grand Isle, La. There were 22 workers on the platform at the time of the incident. Two individuals have yet to be accounted for and an aggressive search and rescue effort is underway.
Nine workers were injured and are now being treated at a number of hospitals in the New Orleans area. Eleven workers were safely evacuated.
The National Response Center, U.S. Coast Guard and the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement were promptly notified of the incident. The fire was extinguished within an hour. The United States Coast Guard confirmed following an over flight that there is no visible sheen. The production platform has been shut in since mid-August.
?Working in cooperation with Federal and local officials, we are doing everything we know to recover the injured workers,? said CEO John Hoffman. ?This is a heartbreaking event. Our total focus at this moment is to find the missing workers and care for the injured. We will not let anything stand in the way of these priorities.?
http://www.blackelkenergy.com/temp-docs/Press-Release-West-Delta_16Nov12.pdf
http://www.blackelkenergy.com/
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Divers find body believed to be missing platform crew member
By Naomi Martin, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune
on November 17, 2012 at 10:02 PM, updated November 17, 2012 at 10:54 PM
Divers privately contracted by Black Elk Energy found a body Saturday night near an oil production platform owned by the company...
The divers found the body while inspecting the platform Saturday evening, Vega said.
The victim's identity had not been released late Saturday.
The Coast Guard was transporting the body to local authorities Saturday night.
The Coast Guard's own search, which used a boat and three helicopters, was called off about 5:25 p.m., Vega said. Vega said he did not know what time the body was found.
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The fire on the platform, which was not producing oil at the time, was extinguished by 11:45 a.m., Cubanski said. While the cause remains under investigation, it appears workers were using a torch to cut a 3-inch-wide and 7-foot-long pipe that had about 28 gallons of oil in it, authorities said.
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Burn victim upgraded to fair condition in platform fire
By Quincy Hodges, NOLA.com|The Times-Picayune
on November 18, 2012 at 10:29 AM, updated November 18, 2012 at 11:44 AM
Wilberto Ilagan, a native of the Philippines has been upgraded to fair condition after enduring major burns from the oil platform fire that occurred 25 miles southeast of Grand Isle Friday morning. Baton Rouge General Hospital is continuing the normal course of treatment for the four male patients.
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Dr. Littleton said the first two patients remain in critical condition, the third patient is in serious condition and the fourth patient has demonstrated significant progress and is now in fair condition.
Normal course of treatment for the patients will continue for the coming week and could include nutritional support, physical therapy, occupational therapy, local wound care and possibly surgical intervention.
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Full text:
http://www.nola.com/traffic/index.s..._upgraded_to_fair_c.html#incart_river_default
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