Louisiana - Oil rig fire in Gulf of Mexico: 3 crew members killed, 11 injured

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Oil rig fire kills at least 2 off Louisiana coast

by KHOU.com staff
khou.com
Posted on November 16, 2012 at 10:06 AM
Updated today at 10:14 AM

HOUSTON -- An fire on a oil rig owned by a Houston-based energy company has left two workers dead and two more missing earling Friday morning off the coast of Louisiana, the U.S. Coast Guard in New Orleans confirmed.

Four other injured workers were air-lifted to a hospital in Jefferson Parish, La., Kirk Trascher, a spokesman from Black Elk Energy in Houston, said . There was no report on if any oil spilled into the Gulf.

Jefferson Parish Councilman Chris Roberts says the platform in question is a shallow water platform located in West Delta Block 32 in the Gulf of Mexico.
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http://www.khou.com/news/local/Coast-Guard-reports-offshore-platform-burning-in-Gulf-of-Mexico-179668691.html

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Re: Louisiana - Oil rig fire in Gulf of Mexico: two workers dead, 4 injured and two missing

<FIGCAPTION>
An image of the platform fire in the Gulf of Mexico sent by a viewer.
Jared Aucoin/ Facebook
</FIGCAPTION></FIGURE>

http://www.wdsu.com/news/local-news/new-orleans/Coast-Guard-Platform-fire-in-Gulf-of-Mexico-sends-4-to-hospital/-/9853400/17444458/-/m8e24l/-/index.html

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At Least Two Missing in Gulf Oil Rig Blast

By COLLEEN CURRY and WHITNEY T. LLOYD
Nov. 16, 2012
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At least two people are missing and "probably overboard," according to Coast Guard spokesman Carlos Vegas. But that number could rise because as many as 15 people are still unaccounted for, the Coast Guard said.
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Among the injured were four who were airlifted for medical treatment to the West Jefferson Medical Center, where they are in critical condition after suffering serious burns. All four are intubated and will be evacuated to Baton Rouge Burn Center when they are stabilized, according to West Jefferson spokesman Taslin Alfonzo.

Eleven other individuals were transported to the hospital for treatment. There were between 26 and 28 people on board at the time of the explosion, according to the Coast Guard.

The platform was located about 20 nautical miles southeast of Grand Isle, La., when the explosion happened, Vega said.

The fire at the rig has been put out, but an oil sheen has spread over more than a 2-mile area on the water, the Coast Guard said.

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http://abcnews.go.com/US/missing-gulf-oil-rig-blast/story?id=17739184

[Emily]

Re: Louisiana - Oil rig fire in Gulf of Mexico: at least 2 crew members missing, 4 listed in critical condition

http://www.incidentnews.gov/incident/8533


http://www.wwltv.com/news/local/Gran...179698531.html

Grand Isle Shipyard workers among those injured on platform
wwltv.com
Posted on November 16, 2012 at 1:11 PM
Updated today at 2:00 PM
Mike Perlstein / Eyewitness News
[snip]
The explosion and subsequent fire broke out after workers used a cutting torch to cut into a 75-foot-long, 3-inch-wide line on the platform.

Another explosive welding related accident resulting in serious injury (and this time 2 deaths ) so soon after the Kentucky disaster? There are safety procedures established to ensure pipelines and tanks are flushed of flammables prior to welding and that the general area is ventilated.

The work looks dangerous enough even when done as safely as possible, (videos were taken on another offshore rig):




Uploaded by Ray14930 on Sep 12, 2011

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Re: Louisiana - Oil rig fire in Gulf of Mexico: 2 crew members missing, 4 listed in critical condition

2 people still missing following platform fire in Gulf of Mexico

By Helen Freund, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune
on November 17, 2012 at 9:24 AM, updated November 17, 2012 at 10:04 AM

The search continues for the two crewmembers missing since Friday's platform fire 25 miles southeast of Grand Isle, the U.S. Coast Guard in New Orleans said Saturday morning...
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Twenty-two workers were on the platform when the blaze erupted shortly before 9 a.m. Friday morning...

Eleven of those were transported to four area hospitals. Nine others were evacuated from the platform uninjured, and two remain missing, he said.
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Four of the injured workers, who suffered extensive burns, were taken to West Jefferson Medical Center in Marrero and later transferred to the Burn Center at Baton Rouge General Hospital...

Four others were transported to Lady of the Sea Hospital in Galliano...Their conditions were reported as stable.

Full text:

http://www.nola.com/traffic/index.ssf/2012/11/2_people_still_missing_followi.html

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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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Full text:

http://www.nola.com/traffic/index.ssf/2012/11/divers_find_body_believed_to_b.html#incart_river

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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.ssf/2012/11/burn_victim_upgraded_to_fair_c.html#incart_river_default

[Emily]

Re: Louisiana - Oil rig fire in Gulf of Mexico: 2 crew members missing, 4 listed in critical condition

http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/eve.../id/DA2KKPQG1/

Filipino rig worker to family, country: alive, heart and lungs healthy

By JANET McCONNAUGHEY Associated Press , The Associated Press - NEW ORLEANS
[snip]
Separate from the explosion, Grand Isle Shipyard is facing a lawsuit by a group of former workers from the Philippines who claim they were confined to cramped living quarters and forced to work long hours for substandard pay. The lawsuit was filed in late 2011 in a Louisiana federal court and is pending. Lawyers for the company have said the workers' claims are false and should be dismissed...

[Emily]

Re: Louisiana - Oil rig fire in Gulf of Mexico: 2 crew members missing, 4 listed in critical condition

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/...8AI14820121119

U.S. board issues subpoena on offshore platform blast


HOUSTON | Mon Nov 19, 2012 6:15pm EST

(Reuters) - A U.S. industrial accident investigative board served Black Elk Energy with a subpoena on Monday, seeking information about last week's offshore Gulf of Mexico oil platform explosion that left one worker dead and another missing...

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012...orm-blast?lite

Philippines mourns dead, injured workers in Louisiana oil platform blast
By NBC News staff and news services

The Philippine Embassy said Monday that Philippine officials have been sent to Louisiana to help Filipino workers who were wounded in an explosion and fire last week at an oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico.

The body of one of two missing Filipino workers was found Saturday and turned over to the Jefferson Parish coroner. He was identified on Monday as Ellroy Corporal, 42. The second man, identified as Jerome Malagapo, remains missing. Four people remain hospitalized...

[Emily]

Re: Louisiana - Oil rig fire in Gulf of Mexico: 2 crew members missing, 4 listed in critical condition

http://www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/...s_off_sea.html

Black Elk Energy calls off search for missing oil platform worker
Mark Schleifstein, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune By Mark Schleifstein, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune
on November 20, 2012 at 11:24 PM, updated November 20, 2012 at 11:25 PM

[Emily]

Re: Louisiana - Oil rig fire in Gulf of Mexico: 3 crew members killed, 11 injured

http://www.dailycomet.com/article/20...CLES/121129647

Body confirmed as third worker killed in oilfield explosion
By Matthew Albright
Staff Writer
Published: Wednesday, November 28, 2012 at 6:40 p.m.
Last Modified: Wednesday, November 28, 2012 at 6:40 p.m.

The death toll from an oil platform explosion and fire earlier this month has risen to three after the Lafourche Parish coroner identified a body found Monday as one of the platform's workers.

The body was identified as 28-year-old Jerome Malagapo, who has been missing since the Black Elk Energy platform he was working on exploded Nov. 16, Coroner John King said...

Mr. Malagapo's body was found near Port Fourchon, about 25 miles from the explosion site. Mr. Ellroy Corporal died the day of the explosion, and Mr. Avelino Tajonera died Nov. 23 from severe burns he suffered from the fire caused by the explosion.