Explosion on Mariner Energy oil rig in Gulf of Mexico
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Friday, September 03, 2010
An explosion has torn through an offshore oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico, west of the site of the blast in April that caused a huge oil spill.
All 13 crew on the rig escaped into the water and were later rescued.
The US Coast Guard said that a blaze that burned for hours after the explosion has now been extinguished.
Officials said there was no evidence of an oil leak, despite earlier reports of a mile-long sheen.
The explosion was first reported at 0930 local time (1330 GMT).
"The fire is out, and Coast Guard helicopters on scene and vessels on scene have no reports of a visible sheen in the water," Capt Peter Troedsson told a news conference in New Orleans.
"There's no report or an evidence of leaks, but we continue to investigate and to monitor that situation to make sure that that doesn't change," he added.
The owners of the platform, Mariner Energy, said it was undergoing maintenance and not producing any oil or gas at the time of the explosion.
Seven Coast Guard helicopters, two planes, and three boats were sent to the site, about 130km (80 miles) south of Vermilion Bay along the central Louisiana coast.