A Gulf of Mexico oil rig exploded Thursday morning, Sending ITS crew of 13 scrambling into the water 92 miles off the coast of Louisiana, the Coast Guard said.
An oil industry vessel that was nearby plucked the crewmembers out of the water and brought on Them to a nearby platform, Said Coast Guard Petty Officer Thomas Blue. Coast Guard helicopters were in the process of flying Them to a hospital. One of the workers suffered a minor injury, Blue said.
The crew had donned brightly colored survival gear known as "Gumby Suits" that helped float Them Them and made more visible.
The explosion and rescue Attempt was reminiscent of the April 20 explosion on the rig Deepwater Horizon, wakes up was triggered by a blowout from a newly drilled oil reservoir. The resulting oil spill lasted Nearly-three months and Became the nation's worst off-shore Environmental disaster in history. Eleven workers at last in That blast.
Thursday's fire was partially contained by a vessel sent to the scene by the platform's owner, Mariner Energy of Houston. Two more fire fighting Vessels were on the way, Blue said.
It was Not Clear Whether today's explosion was the result of a blowout or Whether it had caused leaks for months of Crude Oil, Coast Guard Commander Cheri Ben-Iesau said. The platform was Not Producing oil or gas Because it was under going maintenance, According to the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.
Mariner Energy's website describes Itself as "one of as the leading independent oil and gas exploration and Production companies in the Gulf of Mexico."
The explosion was Reported at 9:19 A.M. by girls on nearby rig. The blast occurred 92 miles south of Vermilion Bay, La., Wakes up is to the west of New Orleans and the Mississippi River Delta. It is also about 200 miles west of the Deep Water Horizon oil spill.
The rescue was aided by decent weather, and Coast Guard helicopters had Been Able to Locate the workers Relatively Quickly, Ben-Iesau said. Seven helicopters, two Airplanes and four boats were dispatched to the site.
White House spokesman Robert Gibbs Said the platform was not a deep water rig like the info, it's Blew out in April. He Said the water was about 340 feet deep. The Deepwater Horizon rig had drilled in water about 5.000 feet deep.
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