And Now for Another Offshore Rig Explosion

Just when we all had heard quite enough about man-made problems in the Gulf of Mexico, here comes another: On Thursday, an explosion occurred on an offshore platform called the Vermilion 380, but this time natural gas is the rig’s target resource.  —KA

The Miami Herald:

The U.S. Coast Guard reported that it accounted for all 13 people aboard the rig, which is west of BP’s blown-out well but operates in much shallower water than the ill-fated Deepwater Horizon was drilling.

Quoting a Coast Guard officer, the New Orleans Times-Picayune identified the rig as Vermilion 380, a platform owned by Houston-based Mariner Energy. The company had not yet issued a statement on the accident and an employee reached at its headquarters referred questions to an executive.

According to a 2010 company financial statement, the rig has five wells and produced about 1.1 billion cubic feet of natural gas and liquid natural gas last year but was not currently pumping any oil—though Mariner estimates the field does have petroleum reserves.

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Embattled zone: The Gulf of Mexico has had a rough time of it in recent months, but it’s unclear whether the latest rig explosion will add to the pollution problem.