An offshore oil platform exploded in the Gulf of Mexico on Thursday morning, injuring one worker, the United States Coast Guard said.
The platform, which was owned by the Houston-based Mariner Energy, was floating in relatively shallow waters 340 feet deep to the west of where a drilling rig leased by BP blew up and sank this spring, killing 11 people and touching off an environmental calamity. All 13 members of the work crew on board Thursday were accounted for, the Coast Guard said, though the injured worker’s condition was not immediately known.
It’s unclear whether the platform is in danger of sinking or whether the explosion may have set off underwater oil leaks. The platform, 20 miles west of the massive April explosion and leak, wasn’t actively producing oil at the time of the accident. More details are, uh, gushing in.
While we’re catching up on our fossil-fuel disasters, more than 1,000 barrels of oil spilled in North Dakota this week too. Of course, maybe that’s just North Dakota’s way of pleading for attention.
As always, Congress may not be up to the task of addressing our oil-dependence, but there are steps you can take to cut your town’s dependence on oil. Also, check out what Grist’s panel of experts had to say about how, whether, and when we can transition from oil to cleaner, safer sources of energy.
