Federal regulators say that weather permitting, they will send personnel to examine the damage reported today at an oil production platform owned by Energy XXI in the shallow waters of the Gulf of Mexico, about five miles south of Port Fourchon.
FuelFix.com reports the Houston offshore oil company reported to authorities that a fire had started on the unmanned platform after it was damaged around 4:30 a.m., possibly by a passing vessel. The fire was extinguished by nearby vessels. The firm reports that natural gas is occasionally bubbling to the surface.
Emergency measures were taken to shut in oil production at three wells that were pumping oil when the incident occurred, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement says in a written statement.
No injuries were reported, and no pollution was seen other than the natural gas bubbles. BSEE and Coast Guard personnel are investigating the incident, the BSEE says.
