Oil rig explodes off the coast of Louisiana

Oil rig explodes off the coast of Louisiana

news.nationalpost.com

VENICE, La. — Coast Guard officials said an oil rig exploded off the coast of Louisiana, sending four people to hospitals Friday. Two were believed to be missing.

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Just a day after oil giant B.P is found guilty of negligence and ordered to pay 4.5B, the largest fine in history, this happens.
Now call it what you will but sometimes I don't believe in coincidences. Let's just hope there isn't any oil spewing out like the last time and this is under control.

But the irony in this is just too bizarre to ignore.

news.nationalpost.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

I feel sorry for their PR team.

Originally posted by boncho
I feel sorry for their PR team.

That's an understatement of the century. Can you imagine the panic they're feeling right now?

reply to post by FlySolo


Here is another angle, since it hasn't been that long (relatively) since they lost Horizon:

Transocean maintains a $10 million-per-occurrence deductible on crew personal injury liability and a $5 million per-occurrence deductible on other third-party noncrew claims, according to the annual report.

“We also carry $950 million of third-party liability coverage exclusive of the personal injury liability deductibles, third-party property liability deductibles” and other retention amounts, the company said in the report. Transocean retains the risk for liability losses above $950 million.

Source

Given that BP ended up with billions in criminal fines, Horizon didn't work out very well for them. However, I find it odd that they could let something like this happen again.

I'm not implying or insinuating anything as of yet, but one might be making good use of one's time to investigate how insurance policies play out in the world of failed oil rigs.

There could be a number of ways to benefit certain groups or where certain people can walk out with big windfalls during an insurance settlement. Anytime a large sum of money changes hands really...

Whether it be public or private sector.

Businesses in the traditional sense make money by bringing product to market, not letting it sink to the bottom of the ocean...

Originally posted by boncho
I feel sorry for their PR team.

I feel sorry for their families. My husband, my dad, and my brother all work on oil rigs.

Originally posted by Ireminisce

Originally posted by boncho
I feel sorry for their PR team.

I feel sorry for their families. My husband, my dad, and my brother all work on oil rigs.

Noted.

My comment was bordering sarcasm. In fact you point out something about the incident which has far greater reaching implications. The people on the front lines who may (or have) become victims of an incident because of lax safety guidelines, regulations or training; equipment malfunction, etc.

These people of course are the ones with the greatest to lose, (their lives), and by no means was I minimizing their part in the affair.

On the other hand, PR people are humans as well, and they have nothing to do with a companies operations besides their public footprint. They have to represent a company that no matter what, will not be able to simply spin their image into something palatable by the public. Of course, their plight is nothing compared to the people that were actually on the rig. And out of the story, no one to really give a thought about.

Boncho was just trying to make a funny.

Best regards to your family on the rigs doing actual work and taking the brunt of the risks.



And also, thoughts to families that have lost their love ones in this accident.

reply to post by boncho


Oh I realize what you were saying. I wasn't offended in the least. Those things are so dangerous. The company my family works for doesn't even do the drilling but after the rough necks leave they have to sit out there on those rigs trying to take readings and make sure nothing goes wrong. A 21 yr. newly wed buying his first home died on one a few months ago. A friend of ours just had to stand there and watch him die. They stay on them weeks at time. I can't wait until my husband can move up and get a management position.

They not stop until the world has gone to Hell in a Handcart.

reply to post by FlySolo


I can only hope that this isnt as bad as the BP Incident!!

I wonder if this is all linked to the sinkhole and other related shinanigens. Louisiana just can't catch a break right now it seems. Lets hope the oil companies actually clean something up for a change, and don't just leave it flaoting under the surface to kill anything in sight.

Originally posted by boncho
I feel sorry for their PR team.

i feel sorry for all the fish in the ocean

i will feel sorry about the water in my toilet (after doing a #2)
before i feel sorry for their PR team

A production platform. This is going to bring back the debates of whether platforms are meeting regulations and not cutting safety measures.

war in the middle east, oil rig blow ups in the gulf...
I feel sorry for those who burn oil and can't afford it now....

The fire at the rig has been put out, but an oil sheen has spread over more than a 2-mile area on the water, the Coast Guard said.

The Louisiana governor's office said that the rig was non-producing, and the explosion occurred during some kind of maintenance work happening aboard the platform.

abcnews.go.com...

Originally posted by Ben81
i feel sorry for all the fish in the ocean

i will feel sorry about the water in my toilet (after doing a #2)
before i feel sorry for their PR team

LOL. This guy's posts always make me laugh.
Please, promise me you will never leave ATS.



Anyways. This does seem a little convenient, doesn't it? ONE day after they are slapped with a big fine, now this happens? Has anyone ever considered just outright banning BP from conducting their business in the USA? They've blown through all their chances by now, I'd say.

And cue astronomical gas prices once again.

Do we ever get a break?

Originally posted by roadgravel

The fire at the rig has been put out, but an oil sheen has spread over more than a 2-mile area on the water, the Coast Guard said.

The Louisiana governor's office said that the rig was non-producing, and the explosion occurred during some kind of maintenance work happening aboard the platform.

abcnews.go.com...

I think it's messed-up the Governor alleged the platform workers were non-productive while performing maintenance work yada yada...fire doesn't just burn without any fuel feeding the flames. What caused the fire?

Originally posted by boncho
I'm not implying or insinuating anything as of yet, but one might be making good use of one's time to investigate how insurance policies play out in the world of failed oil rigs.

Crash and Burn,collect the insurance and screw the environment...
Tis the way of such companies.

They care not that they pollute your seafood,the rain,the ground,your animals and you.
although "I'm not implying or insinuating anything as of yet."

It is a non-producing rig. About 28 gallons spilled (a little more than the gas tank of a large SUV). 2 missing. Several hospitalized. As of this time tomorrow, no one will remember this because it is a non-story to everyone but the families who may have lost their loved ones.

Of course it should be investigated. After BP, safety regs have to be enforced harshly. However, accidents happen all the time out there. Minor spills are normal.

Please don't use this relatively minor incident to go on some anti-oil rant. Our whole way of society is based on fossil fuels. Until the day that renewables become viable, this is simple reality. Drilling is absolutely necessary.