An explosion occurred on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico on April 20, 2010. 115 crew members were rescued but 11 remained missing. The rig was located approximately 50 miles off the coast of Louisiana. Several days later on April 22nd, the rig sank below the surface into around 5,000 feet of water while efforts were underway to stop the flow of hydrocarbons from the damaged well.
5. The rig is (was) operating in the Gulf of Mexico ~50 mile offshore Louisiana prepared by: Wiggert Landzaat (Oilfield Consultants)
6. NEW ORLEANS, La. -- The Coast Guard continues the search for 11 missing crewmembers from the mobile offshore drilling unit (MODU) Deepwater Horizon. Watchstanders at the U.S. Coast Guard District Eight command center here received a report at approximately 10 p.m. Tuesday (21 st April 2010) of an explosion and fire aboard the Deepwater Horizon , approximately 42 miles Southeast of Venice, La. Updated reports indicate that there were 126 people on board the MODU at the time of the explosion. One-hundred-fifteen crewmembers have been accounted for. Of those accounted for: Seventeen crewmembers were medevaced from the scene Ninety-four crewmembers are being transferred to shore at Port Fourchon aboard the Damien Baxton, an offshore supply vessel. There are no major injuries reported for these members. Four crewmembers have been transferred to another vessel Coast Guard is actively searching for all unaccounted for personnel and have the following units responding: Air Station New Orleans: * Two HH-65C Dolphin rescue helicopters and crews Aviation Training Center, Mobile, Ala.: * One HH-60 rescue helicopter and crew * One HC-144 Ocean Sentry rescue plane and crew In addition, the Coast Guard cutters Pompano, Zephyr, Razorbill and Cobia are on scene. prepared by: Wiggert Landzaat (Oilfield Consultants)
7. The rig during the blowout prepared by: Wiggert Landzaat (Oilfield Consultants)
9. 22 April 2010 02:48 GMT Work is continuing to stem the flow of hydrocarbons that appear to be fuelling the fire, Transocean said. The company confirmed that 11 of the rig's 126-strong crew remain missing, while 115 others have been evacuated. Meanwhile, the Coast Guard said 94 rig workers rescued from the burning semisub have reached land at Port Fourchon, Louisiana. Earlier, the US Coast Guard said it has “no idea” where the 11 missing men could be, with Rear Admiral Mary Landry saying earlier reports that the men were seen in a lifeboat were false. The search for the men continues. Nine of the missing crew work for Transocean, with the other two employed by an unnamed contractor. The explosion occurred on Tuesday evening at about 2200 hours local time while the rig was drilling a well on the Maconda prospect in BP-operated Mississippi Canyon Block 252, about 41 miles (65 kilometres) south-east of Venice, Louisiana. The cause of the explosion is not yet known, although it is understood surface casing work was being carried out at the time of the blast. Transocean said that the rig's stability is being closely monitored. Earlier, the rig was listing at an angle of between three and 10 degrees. The Coast Guard has also put in place contingency plans should there be any threat to the environment. An investigation into the cause of the accident has been launched and an assessment of the damage will be carried out once it is safe to do so, Transocean said. The US Coast Guard will also launch a probe. At the time of the explosion, the well had reached a total depth of more than 18,000 feet, Transocean executive Adrian Rose told a press conference in Houston last night prepared by: Wiggert Landzaat (Oilfield Consultants)
10. He said production casing was being run and cemented, after which it would be tested for integrity and a cement plug set to abandon the well for completion later as a subsea producer. “We don’t know what caused the accident,” he told the press conference, but when asked if it was a blowout, he replied: "Basically, yes." Rose added that "undoubtedly abnormal pressure" had accumulated inside the marine riser and as it came up it "expanded rapidly and ignited". He told reporters that the intervention plan involves sending a remotely operated vehicle down with a “hot stab” that could then close the blowout preventer and stem the flow. Rose said they do not know whether the rig will be salvageable. Of the 17 injured, many have been treated and released from area hospitals, Rose said. A spokeswoman at West Jefferson Medical Centre confirmed four crew members had been admitted to the hospital. Two arrived by ambulance and two by helicopter. She told UpstreamOnline all four were treated and released shortly before noon yesterday. Deepwater Horizon was built in 2001 by Hyundai Heavy Industries at the shipyard in Ulsan, South Korea. It is a Reading & Bates Falcon RBS-8D design rig with accommodations for up to 130 people. The dynamically-positioned Deepwater Horizon can operate in waters up to 10,000 feet and can drill to 30,000 feet. The current dayrate on the rig is believed to be around $500,000. Deepwater Horizon cost an estimated $350 million when delivered but replacement costs for a similar unit today could approach double that amount. Published: 22 April 2010 02:48 GMT | Last updated: 22 April 2010 08:17 GMT prepared by: Wiggert Landzaat (Oilfield Consultants)
