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Offshore Incident Archive

Offshore Incident Archive

Fatality on West Delta (WD) Block 105, Platform E
November 20, 2014

An explosion occurred offshore in the Gulf of Mexico shortly after 2:30 p.m. on November 20, 2014, while Turnkey Cleaning Services GOM (Turnkey) personnel were cleaning an electrostatic heater treater at the West Delta (WD) 105 E platform for Fieldwood Energy LLC (Fieldwood). The explosion caused fatal injuries to a Turnkey Supervisor, and injured others in the vicinity of the heater treater.

BSEE Releases Panel Investigation Report into Platform Explosion (11/10/2016)

Statement on West Delta 105 Fatality from BSEE Director (11/10/2016)

Panel Report on West Delta 105 Facility (11/10/2016)

BSEE Investigating Explosion in the Gulf of Mexico (11/21/2014)

Oil Discharge on Mississippi Canyon MC-20A
September 15, 2004

The specific source(s) of discharge at the MC-20 site are not fully known. However, because the discharge volume is greater than can reasonably be accounted for by oil released from sediment only, oil is most likely emanating from one or more of the 25 wells.

Taylor had originally been ordered by the Minerals Management Service (MMS) in October 2007 to permanently plug and abandon all the wells by June 2008. 

Based on data collected from nearly daily overflights since September 2014, oil sheens have been observed and reported by Taylor Energy to be as large as 1.5 miles wide and 14 miles long, with an average of 1 mile wide and 5.5 miles long, covering an average area of 8 square miles. Over this period, the daily volume of oil discharging from the MC-20 site has fluctuated between a low of less than one barrel of oil (1 barrel = 42 gallons) to a high of 55 barrels (2,329 gallons). The average reported daily oil volume on the sea surface over the past seven months has been over 2 barrels (84 gallons); the volume on over 75 days was greater than 1 barrel, including 23 days of volume greater than 3.8 barrels (160 gallons) and 4 days greater than 35 barrels (1,470 gallons). These spill size and volume estimates are based on reports submitted by Taylor Energy's contractors to the National Response Center (NRC).

Taylor Energy/Mississippi Canyon 20 (MC20) Oil Discharge

Incident Archive - Taylor Energy (Mississippi Canyon) Oil Spill - U.S. Coast Guard Fact Sheet (5/13/2015)

Taylor Energy Oil Discharge at MC-20 Site and Ongoing Response Efforts (5/20/2015)

Platform Fire on West Delta 32
November 16, 2012

On November 16, 2012, at around 9:00 a.m., an explosion and fire occurred on a platform in the Gulf of Mexico operated by Black Elk Energy Offshore Operations (Black Elk). The explosion and fire, which occurred during welding work that was being conducted as part of construction operations, resulted in the deaths of three individuals who were working on the platform), serious injuries to others, and the discharge of pollutants into the Gulf of Mexico.

BSEE Action History for Black Elk (11/16/2012)

Statement on Black Elk Platform Fire from BSEE Director James A. Watson (11/17/2012)

BSEE Update on Black Elk Platform Fire Investigation (11/19/2012)

BSEE Gulf Letter to Black Elk Requiring Performance Improve Plan (11/21/2012)

BSEE Issues Letter to Black Elk Regarding Performance (11/21/2012)

Black Elk Energy West Delta 32 Inspection History (11/30/2012)

Black Elk Performance Improvement Plan (12/14/2012)

BSEE Status on Black Elk Investigation (8/8/2013)

BSEE Gulf Black Elk Performance Improvement Plan Status (9/2013)

2013-002 BSEE Panel Investigation - Black Elk Final Report 11/4/2013)

BSEE Director's Statement on Black Elk Report (11/2013)

BSEE Releases INCs Resulting From Black Elk Panel Investigation (11/13/2013)

Platform "A", Vermillion Block 200
October 27, 2013

On October 27, 2013, a fatal incident occurred on the “A” Platform, of Vermilion Block 200, Lease number OCS-G 9500. This location is approximately 53 miles south of Lake Charles, Louisiana in the Gulf of Mexico.

At approximately 7:05 p.m., a 130 ton dry oil storage tank skid assembly, consisting of one (1) 16 feet diameter x 85 feet long horizontal cylindrical tank and two (2) 83 feet long flare booms mounted to and extending away from the skid at a 17-degree angle, toppled over and fell 115 feet into the Gulf of Mexico from the Vermilion Block 200 Platform “A”.

BSEE Releases Talos Energy Panel Investigation Report (11/13/2014)

Panel Report: Vermillion (Talos Energy) Platform "A" Fatality (11/13/2014)

Talos Energy Performance History (11/2014)

South Timbalier 220, Well A-3
August 8, 2013

Walter experienced a loss of control of Well A-3 at approximately 8:45a.m. July 23, 2013 on an unmanned platform at South Timbalier Block 220 while doing completion work on the sidetrack well to prepare the well for production. The operator reported the safe evacuation of 44 personnel from the Hercules 265 jack-up rig. Coast Guard confirmed that the leaking natural gas ignited at 10:45 p.m. CDT July 23. BSEE confirmed July 25 that the well flow subsided after a natural bridging process and the fire was suppressed.

Incident Updates Compilation Page (with photos) (7/23/2013)

Walter SEMS Report (Part 1) Root Cause Investigation Results (8/29/2014)

Walter SEMS Report (Part 2) Recommendations & Corrective Actions (8/29/2014)

2015-02 BSEE Panel Review Report (9/10/2015)

BSEE Director's Statement on South Timbalier (Walter) Reports (9/10/2015)

Atlantis Platform
March 4, 2011

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE) today released the findings of its investigation into allegations that BP Exploration and Oil, Inc. (BP) did not maintain required copies of engineer-approved drawings for its Atlantis oil and gas platform operating in the Gulf of Mexico. The investigation stemmed from an April 2009 lawsuit filed under the False Claims Act by a former BP contractor.

BP Atlantis Report (3/4/2011)