High Island 262 Explosion; Gulf of Mexico

Gulf of Mexico | 2009-Aug-04

Initial Notification: On Tuesday night, 4 August 2009, the USCG reported a rig in High Island Black 262 that had an issue with gas turbine and ignited a natural gas line. Emergency shut down was activated prior to abandonment of rig. There are an estimated 6000 gallons of various fuels onboard and a condensate crude tank of unknown capacity on the facility. The RP expects the line to burn off the remaining natural gas and to be a non-issue (let’s hope so). USCG Marine Safety Unit Galveston will conduct a morning overflight assess the situation.