Details are just coming in.
In other news: drill, baby, drill.
UPDATE 0: In my haste I attributed this to BP — doesn't appear to be BP.
UPDATE 1: All crew members accounted for (13). One injury.
UPDATE 2: It is not in deep water. this diary features a map of the site.
Update 3:There may be a low probability of oil spilling!
Asked about concerns regarding oil leaks or pollution, [U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Bill] Colclough said "there are reports the rig was not actively producing any product, so we don't know if there's any risk of pollution."
Update 4:Rescue efforts still under way. Unclear whether the rig is still on fire. Hopefully, this will turn out to be a minor event. Also, too: jimstaro has MSNBC video in comments here.
Update 5: CNN has posted a brief eyewitness report (ireport). Apparently, all have been rescued safely. The smoke is subsiding. This platform was not a drilling rig, but a "production platform," so there won't be any Horizon-style blowouts. "Production platform" could mean several things, but the important thing is that production platforms process oil, and are, therefore, capable of spilling if the accident is severe enough. No word on that, yet.
Update 6: Not an oil platform — a natural gas platform. No oil spill to worry about, just powerful greenhouse gasses escaping (possibly).
I'll be updating this we more details as they become available. Right now, all we have are early Coast Guard reports.
An oil rig has exploded 80 miles off the coast of Louisiana, with 12 people overboard and one missing, the Coast Guard said Thursday morning.
Link on CNN: http://news.blogs.cnn.com/...
The operator is different this time:
The accident took place 80 miles off the coast of Louisiana on the Vermilion Oil rig 380, which is owned by Houston-based Mariner Energy.