A fire on an oil production platform in the Gulf of Mexico has resulted in one injury of the 13 crew members on board, but the production company said all active wells have been shut-in.
According to a press release from oil and gas production company Mariner Energy Inc., no hydrocarbon spill was seen by an initial flyover.
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal said during a press conference this afternoon that the Coast Guard reported seeing a 1-nautical-mile-by-100-foot oil sheen at the site of the platform--located about 100 miles from the Louisiana coast.
Gov. Jindal said he spoke to Coast Guard officials and representatives with Mariner Energy. The company said the seven wells active at the time of the fire--reportedly about 9:20 a.m--have been "shut-in."
An important point, Gov. Jindal said he was told by Mariner Energy officials that the fire was being fueled by about 100 stored barrels of oil, which would seem to indicate there was no leaking oil fueling the fire.
The fire continued to burn this afternoon but was reported to be contained by Mariner Energy, Gov. Jindal said.
However, none of the information has been independently verified, the governor added.
The platform is not an oil drilling platform, but an oil production platform in about 340 feet of water that produces about 1,400 barrels of oil and 9.2 million cubic feet of natural gas per day, reported Gov. Jindal.
Mariner Energy said the cause of the fire is not known. All members of the crew were evacuated and accounted for, the company said.
