NEW ORLEANS -- At least one person was injured after a rig explosion in the Gulf of Mexico, about 80 miles south of Vermilion Bay, the U.S. Coast Guard said.
It happened around 9 a.m., and as of 10:15 a.m., the rig was still burning, Chief Petty Officer John Edwards said. Rescue crews from New Orleans and Houston are responding.
Officials said there were 13 people aboard the rig, and all of them have been accounted for. Initial reports from the Coast Guard indicated that one person was missing.
Injured workers are being taken to Terrebonne General Medical Center in Houma, officials said.Two helicopters from Houston and three from New Orleans are responding to the blast. Two other fixed-wing planes and two cutter ships are also responding, the Coast Guard said.
The rig is owned by Mariner Energy.
It's not yet clear whether the rig is a deepwater rig, similar to the Deepwater Horizon rig that exploded on April 20. It's also not clear whether the rig is leaking any oil.According to Mariner Energy's website, the company does engage in deepwater drilling in the gulf, including "higher-risk, high-impact projects that have the potential to create substantial value for our stockholders."Mariner Energy is headquartered in Houston and has an office in Lafayette, La.
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