Rig fire in Gulf of Mexico

More of this as the day goes on:

"This likely leaves very few options now to regain control of the fire considering that the primary means of controlling the flow of the fuel source, which is the blowout preventer (BOP), has likely failed.

Unlike the 2010 Deepwater Horizon blowout, the BOP on the Hercules rig is above the water and surrounded by an uncontrolled fire. Access to it will no doubt be impossible."

Hercules Jack-Up Rig Catches Fire Following Loss of Well Control

gCaptain,

24 July, 2013

Update:

A gCaptain source confirms that the well platform and the derrick on the jack-up rig have been destroyed due to the fire. The jack-up rig itself however is still standing. “The fire from the well is about as tall as the derrick would be if it were still standing,” our source noted.

In addition, a sheen on the ocean surface was reported a few miles to the north of the Hercules rig fire. It’s unclear however, whether or not the sheen and the blowout are related.

In a statement by BSEE, Walter Oil & Gas has begun preparations to drill a relief well to quell the blaze. Hercules notes that should a relief well be necessary, they are prepared to “promptly mobilize the Hercules 200, a 200′ mat-supported cantilevered unit to execute drilling of the relief well.”

Earlier today:

The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) has confirmed this morning that the Hercules 265 jack-up rig has caught fire following a loss of well control on board the rig yesterday.

According to a BSEE statement, the natural gas leaking from the well ignited at 10:50 p.m. CDT July 23, 2013. No one was on board at the time of the ignition.

This likely leaves very few options now to regain control of the fire considering that the primary means of controlling the flow of the fuel source, which is the blowout preventer (BOP), has likely failed.

Unlike the 2010 Deepwater Horizon blowout, the BOP on the Hercules rig is above the water and surrounded by an uncontrolled fire. Access to it will no doubt be impossible.

The following is video of the gas escaping from the well taken yesterday:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7JDiUKhLLo

The operator of the field, Walter Oil and Gas can only hope that the uncontrolled flow of gas from the well causes the well to bridge off, aka collapse downhole, and seal itself off in that way, but it may take some time.

The rig is on contract with Walter Oil & Gas Corporation and operating at South Timbalier Block 220 in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, located about 55 miles offshore Louisiana in 154 feet of water.

How a jackup rig blowout occurs

In the 2012 fire involving the jack-up rig KS Endeavor offshore Nigeria, the fire burned for about two months, and there was literally nothing left of the rig by the time the well stopped flowing. In the meantime however, another jack-up rig was contracted to drill a well to intercept the one that was flowing in order to stem the flow of the well from its source.

This was a very expensive task for both Chevron Nigeria, and indirectly ExxonMobil, who had to disengage their rig from a current project to help quell this incident

Drilling rig on fire, begins to collapse; relief well to be drilled

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WWLTV,

24 July, 2013

NEW ORLEANS - Portions of the Hercules drilling rig that is on fire in the Gulf of Mexico started to collapse Wednesday. 

The parts of the Hercules 265 rig that stick out over the Walter Oil & Gas platform and wellhead have been melting and falling, but the integrity of the massive post-like legs and the permanent platform itself appear to still be strong, Walter Oil & Gas spokesman Brian Kennedy said.

Walter is hiring a jack-up rig to start drilling a relief well at the site. The jack-up rig will be towed in next to the Hercules drilling rig, where it will start drilling a relief well into the Gulf of Mexico to intercept Hercules' well.

The federal offshore safety agency reported that beams supporting the derrick and rig floor on the Hercules have folded and collapsed.

The Hercules rig is a moveable jack-up rig in 154 feet of water, which was hired by Walter Oil & Gas to drill the well southwest of Grand Isle. The jack-up rig is cantilevered above a permanent structure owned by Walter.

Two firefighting vessels had to back away from the fire before dawn, and the Coast Guard had two firefighting vessels arriving on the scene around midday Wednesday.

Walter spokesman Tim O’Leary said they are still investigating what went wrong Tuesday when natural gas blew out of the well, forcing all 44 workers onboard to evacuate. The blowout preventer did not shut in the well, but it’s unclear why. 

After working most of the day to try to shut in the gas unsuccessfully, the rig caught fire around 10:45 p.m. Tuesday.