Deepwater Horizon Oil Rig Explosion

Lousiana (GaeaTimes.com) - It is reported that an oil rig named Deepwater Horizon has exploded in the Gulf of Mexico Mississippi Canyon block 252, 41 mile or 66 km off the coast of Lousiana. The cause of the blast is still unclear.

It is reported that the incident happened at approximately 10 pm on April 20, 2010 as the oil rig exploded and caught fire. Allegedly there were 126 people on board on that oil rig. US Coast Guard is working to evacuate the Atlantic oil rig and they have pulled several people from the water and carried them to the shore. At least 8 people were described to be in critical condition and some of the workers are still to be accounted for. According to the latest reports by WSJ, at least 11 people are reported to be missing. They also reported that seven workers were airlifted to local hospitals and two of them were taken to the trauma center in Mobile Alabama. Among the 126 people there were 120 workers and six personnel. The 6 personnel on board at the time of the incident are safe.

The oil rig is a 5th generation, dynamic positioned, semi submersible oil rig owned by Transocean and is named Deepwater Horizon. It is placed near the petroleum town of Venice.

Deepwater Horizon was carrying out exploration drilling on BP’s Macondo prospect in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico. Transocean is carrying out the work on BP’s behalf. The deepwater Mexico is a key focus of many western oil majors. This is also a significant exploration hotspot.