Breaking News: Oil Rig Explodes In Gulf of Mexico

By: Bill Waters
09/02/2010 12:24 PM ET

Breaking News: Oil rig explodes in Gulf of Mexico. An offshore oil rig exploded Thursday in the Gulf of Mexico. The Coast Guard is reponding to reports of people in the water from the oil rig.

The oil rig explosion sparked a fire. It is owned by owned by Mariner Energy. It occurred west of the site of the April blast that caused the massive BP oil spill.

A commercial helicopter company reported the blast around 9:30 a.m. CDT Thursday. Seven helicopters, two airplanes and four boats were en route to the site, about 80 miles south of Vermilion Bay along the central Louisiana coast. The Coast Guard said initial reports indicated all 13 crew members from the rig were in the water.

There is a report of one injury from the rig explosion. Others were said to be in good condition and are awaiting rescue. The oil platform is in about 2,500 feet of water and was not currently producing.

Mariner Energy is one of the leading independent oil and gas exploration and production companies in the Gulf of Mexico. As of the start of the year, the company had interests in approximately 240 blocks on the continental shelf and 100 blocks in deepwater. More updates to follow.

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