An explosion at a Gulf of Mexico (GoM) oil and gas platform operated by Fieldwood Energy LLC killed one person and injured three others, according to the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE).
The explosion on Fieldwood’s Echo Platform occurred about 19 km (12 miles) off the coast of New Orleans and was reported just before 3 p.m. Nov. 20, according to a statement on the BSEE website. The platform wasn’t in production at the time, and no pollution was reported.
“This was an isolated incident that has been fully contained,” according to an e-mailed statement from Fieldwood. The worker killed was a contractor, while a second contractor was seriously injured, Fieldwood said.
Fieldwood, an explorer backed by private equity firm Riverstone Holdings LLC, bought Apache Corp.’s shallow-water assets last year for $3.75 billion in cash. Fieldwood is a Houston-based company focused on the acquisition and development of oil and gas assets in North America, including the Gulf of Mexico, according to its website.
BSEE is coordinating the response with the U.S. Coast Guard and will investigate the incident, according to the statement.
Recommended Reading
Commentary: The Oil and Gas Future—Believe It or Not
2024-01-10 - If you believe the IEA’s analysis, plenty of oil and gas companies won’t survive very far into the future.
E&P Highlights: Jan. 12, 2024
2024-01-15 - Here’s a roundup of the latest E&P headlines, including an SLB-Nabors collaboration and new contract awards.
Prairie Operating Acquires More D-J Basin Assets for $94.5MM
2024-01-15 - Houston-based Prairie Operating Co. is scaling its D-J Basin footprint with a $94.5 million acquisition of Nickel Road Operating LLC.
Activity Offshore Norway Expected to Remain Steady in 2024
2024-01-11 - The Norwegian Offshore Directorate provided updates on 2023 activity, including 14 wildcat discoveries and eight projects going online and urging exploration in frontier areas.
US Drillers Cut Oil, Gas Rigs for Third Week in a Row
2024-01-05 - The oil and gas rig count, an early indicator of future output, fell by one to 621 in the week to Jan. 5.