Thaindian News

By Madhuri Dey
Sep 3, (THAINDIAN NEWS) On Thursday another offshore oil rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico area near the site of the disastrous British Petroleum oil spill triggering fear of another environmental catastrophe. However, although sheen of oil was noted spreading from the site of the explosion early on Thursday, both the owner of the oil rig Houston-based Mariner Energy and the Louisiana Coast Guard maintained that it has not received any reports of oil spill. The crew members of the company who were present at the site jumped into the sea to save their lives and were rescued unharmed by the Coast Guard crew members. Although one employee was reported to have suffered minor injury by the Coast Guard, the company held that all its employees at the site have escaped unscathed.

Coast Guard Cmdr. Cheri Ben-Iesau said that the Thursday’s oil spill can in no way be compared with the British Petroleum oil spill. Being located at a distance of about 100 miles (161 kilometers) south of Vermilion Bay on the central Louisiana coast and lying in 340 feet (103 meters) of water, the oil rig that is owned by Houston-based Mariner Energy is considered shallow and can be easily repaired in case of any disaster.

The oil rig produces around 1,400 barrels of oil per day and is in no way comparable to the BP Deep Water oil spill that spewed around 60,000 barrels of oil per day into the sea. Coast Guard Cmdr. Cheri Ben-Iesau maintained that the Mariner Energy owned oil rig stands at a “much smaller platform in much shallower water”. Immediately after the explosion at least five ships were seen reaching the situation and three were seen shooting water onto the machinery. Plumes of smoke were also seen coming out of the site.