Two Injured in Fire on Shell Enchilada Platform
Illustration; Image Courtesy: USCGTwo people were injured in a fire that erupted on Shell Enchilada oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico, Wednesday, November 8, the United States Coast Guard (USCG) informed.
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, USCG added.
According to Shell, both have been treated and released from the hospital.
Coast Guard Sector New Orleans watchstanders received a report at 1:20 a.m. that there was a platform 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.
As informed, 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 a 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.
“USCG and Shell contracted vessels are on site monitoring the situation. As a precautionary measure, a Clean Gulf Association oil spill response vessel has been mobilized, and other vessels are on standby,” Shell said.
The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) and Coast Guard are jointly investigating the cause of the incident.
“Shell personnel performed a visual assessment of the Enchilada platform and based on those observations, the asset appears to be structurally sound. A more detailed analysis of the platform will be conducted,”
“No harm to people or the environment is ever acceptable and Shell deeply regrets that this incident occurred,” Shell added.
