One worker was killed and three others were injured after an oil platform operated by Texas-based Fieldwood Energy exploded late last month. The deadly explosion took place less than 20 miles off the coast of Louisiana, according to Fieldwood Energy and the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE), and occurred during routine cleaning operations. If you have suffered injuries in a Texas oil rig or oil field accident, or if you lost a loved one in a fatal job site accident, contact our oil field accident lawyers at Bandas Law Firm today for legal help. You may have grounds to file a claim to pursue compensation for your losses.
EXPLOSION OCCURRED DURING CLEANING OPERATIONS
The employees involved in the accident worked for an offshore cleaning services contractor out of Louisiana, which specializes in cleaning heater treaters, a key piece of equipment used to clean oil out of processed water collected on the platform during oil and gas production. The worker killed in the oil platform explosion, identified as 24-year-old Jerrel Hancock, was reportedly cleaning a heater treater when the explosion occurred at Fieldwood Energy’s West Delta 105 E platform. According to Fieldwood’s Offshore Production Manager, Shannon Savoy, the oil platform had not been producing any oil or gas for at least a week when the explosion occurred.
OIL PLATFORM CITED FOR NONCOMPLIANCE ISSUES
The injured workers were airlifted to West Jefferson Medical Center for treatment, and all three have since been released from the hospital. All other employees working on the oil platform have been accounted for, according to Fieldwood Energy. The company also reported that there was no damage to the facility and that no pollution occurred as a result of the explosion. West Delta 105 E is one of more than 500 structures owned by Fieldwood Energy, and the oil platform has been cited for noncompliance 39 times since 1987, including one recent incident in which a minor “warning” citation resulted from a May BSEE inspection.
CONTACT OUR OIL FIELD ACCIDENT LAWYERS TODAY
Oil field and oil rig accidents occur far too often in Texas, and a report issued in February 2014 indicated that the state accounted for 40% of the 663 oil field accident deaths in the United States between 2007 and 2012. If you have been injured in an oil field accident in Corpus Christi, or elsewhere in Texas, consult our oil field accident attorneys at Bandas Law Firm today to discuss your legal options. You may be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits for your injuries and medical bills, which our experienced lawyers can help you pursue.
Source:
http://www.wwltv.com/story/news/local/orleans/2014/11/20/coast-guard-responds-to-oil-platform-explosion/70037274/s
