NEW ORLEANS – The Coast Guard and the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) are responding to a report of an oil platform fire in the Gulf of Mexico, Wednesday.
Coast Guard Sector New Orleans watchstanders received a report at 1:20 a.m. that Shell Enchilada platform was on fire approximately 112 nautical miles south of Vermilion Bay, Louisiana.
There were 46 crewmembers reported aboard the platform that evacuated to a lifeboat and were transferred to a nearby platform, Salsa, by the offshore supply vessel C-Liberty.
There were two people reported to have injuries. A 54-year-old male suffered from flash burns and a concussion, and a 29-year-old male suffered from a sprained wrist and a concussion. Shell launched an emergency helicopter and medevaced both people and transferred them to the University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston.
The platform and all associated production have been shut in. The fire has been reduced to a small flame coming out of a pipe on the platform. There is report of a light sheen north of the Shell platform Enchilada.
Coast Guard Aviation Training Center Mobile launched a HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircrew to conduct an overflight. The aircrew reported the fire had mostly dissipated. A Coast Guard Cutter Skipjack boat crew was also diverted to the scene.
BSEE and Coast Guard are jointly investigating the cause of the incident.
Map of Shell Enchilada platform fire location as PDF.
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