• Wednesday, 16 May, 2012

Chevron rig blaze flyover underway

Search continues: two still missing as KS Endeavor rig appears to be disintegrating

Chevron

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By Eoin O'Cinneide

 18 January 2012 13:21 GMT

A flyover is currently taking place above a Chevron-chartered rig which is understood to still be ablaze following an apparent blowout off Nigeria on Monday.

The search continues for two rig workers, whom Upstream understands are from France and India, missing since the jack-up KS Endeavor was engulfed in flames on the Funiwa field in Block 86.

Nigerian officials are confident that there is little in the way of pollution from the blaze, dramatic pictures of which have been released by Chevron and appear to show the unit slipping into the sea.

Ian Laidlaw, operations manager at the Nigeria-based joint owner of the rig, Fode Drilling, told Upstream that the two missing rig personnel have yet to be found.

“We are still performing search and rescue operations as of now. We have not found [them] of yet.

“Nobody has actually seen the people coming off the rig. We did actually take people out of the water coming off the rig. We do not know if the [two missing] people have been caught up with the flash when it ignited and they [were] intoxicated by the smoke. We cannot say.”

The inferno engulfed the rig early on Monday morning, swiftly torching the adjacent US-owned liftboat Mako from which all 27 crew escaped. Houston-based vessel owner Hercules Offshore has already said the boat is most likely a total constructive loss.

When asked if the blaze had been extinguished, Laidlaw responded: “Oh no, the fire is not out.” [Chevron] has to drill a relief well.”

Chevron said on Tuesday that it had hired the Transocean jack-up GSF Baltic to drill a relief well in an effort to control the blaze and any possible pollution.

“The rig and everything [with redards to the search, rescue, recovery and containment operations] now is Chevron’s responsibility,” Laidlaw continued. “My company’s responsibility is the personnel onboard, and Chevron can look after the installation. They’ve got the boats, the water monitors and the search and rescue operation going on now.”

Laidlaw was not aware of any pollution, continuing: “Right from the very beginning it was gas coming out. There was no oil coming out. There might be smoke.”

Although there has yet to be confirmation of what caused the blaze, a blowout appears likely, with Chevron saying on Tuesday: “Initial indications point to the possible failure of surface equipment during drilling operations that led to a loss of well control.”

Laidlaw said: “The cause of the fire was gas coming up the wellbore, but what ignited it I do not know. The gas must have got out into the atmosphere and ignited.”

Peter Idabor, director general of Nigeria’s National Oil Spill Detection & Response Agency (Nosdra) told Upstream that a flyover of the casualty site is being conducted on Wednesday afternoon, while affirming that the two missing crew have yet to be found. Idabor was also confident that there has not been any significant pollution.

The KS Endeavor is owned 50/50 by Fode and KS Drilling Pte, a subsidiary of Singapore KS Energy which is a spin-off of Atlantic Oilfield Services. KS Energy has not responded to repeated requests for comment from Upstream.

Chevron has the KS Endeavor on charter for a firm two-year period which started in January 2011. The US oil giant also holds a one-year option over the unit.

Production from Chevron's North Apoi platform was shut in due to its proximity to the fire.

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