HOUSTON, March 6 (Reuters) - An oil production platform caught fire in the Gulf of Mexico on Sunday and two people on board were rescued, but the fire was extinguished, the U.S. Coast Guard said.
Firefighting vessels are on scene, making sure the fire does not reignite, the Coast Guard said.
The Coast Guard received a report of a platform on fire about 8 a.m. local time (1400 GMT). It was unclear how long the blaze burned before it was put out, a Coast Guard spokesman said.
The two workers on board at the time evacuated in an escape capsule and were picked up by a passing vessel, the Coast Guard said.
The platform, in Grand Isle Block 102, about 50 miles (80 km) off Grand Isle, Louisiana, is owned by Arena Offshore and had been shut down two weeks ago, the Coast Guard said.
'We have no reports of pollution at this time. There were no injuries. The cause of this is not known at this time,' said Arena spokesman Tim O'Leary.
'It's a small production platform in 257 feet of water,' O'Leary said.
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management will lead an investigation into the incident, the Coast Guard said.
(Reporting by Bruce Nichols; Editing by Eric Beech, Bernard Orr) Keywords: OIL OFFSHORE/PLATFORM FIRE (Email: b.nichols@thomsonreuters.com; +1 713 210 8510; Reuters Messaging: bruce.nichols.reuters.com@reuters.net) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.
Firefighting vessels are on scene, making sure the fire does not reignite, the Coast Guard said.
The Coast Guard received a report of a platform on fire about 8 a.m. local time (1400 GMT). It was unclear how long the blaze burned before it was put out, a Coast Guard spokesman said.
The two workers on board at the time evacuated in an escape capsule and were picked up by a passing vessel, the Coast Guard said.
The platform, in Grand Isle Block 102, about 50 miles (80 km) off Grand Isle, Louisiana, is owned by Arena Offshore and had been shut down two weeks ago, the Coast Guard said.
'We have no reports of pollution at this time. There were no injuries. The cause of this is not known at this time,' said Arena spokesman Tim O'Leary.
'It's a small production platform in 257 feet of water,' O'Leary said.
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management will lead an investigation into the incident, the Coast Guard said.
(Reporting by Bruce Nichols; Editing by Eric Beech, Bernard Orr) Keywords: OIL OFFSHORE/PLATFORM FIRE (Email: b.nichols@thomsonreuters.com; +1 713 210 8510; Reuters Messaging: bruce.nichols.reuters.com@reuters.net) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.