A platform has exploded in the Campeche Bay, offshore Mexico, Pemex, Mexico’s national oil company has reported.

According to Pemex, a fire broke out on its usually unmanned Akal-H platform, after an oil and gas leak around 2 p.m. Monday.

Pemex says that three workers performing routing inspection on the platform at the time of the incident were safely evacuated without injuries. The oil company said it quelled the fire using four emergency response vessels.

This is the third offshore accident for Pemex in the Gulf of Mexico in 2015. In April, the Abkatun Alpha exploded killing at least four workers, and in May, the Troll Solution jack-up rig tilted, leaving two workers dead and spilling diesel into the ocean.

The two previous incidents caused Gustavo Hernandez, who was appointed E&P director last year, to request a 40-day reassignment and move to a role focused on assisting Pemex to form partnerships with private companies that are seeking to enter Mexico’s recently opened oil industry, the official said. His former role will be temporarily overseen by his former chief of staff, Javier Hinojosa.

The platform Akal-H is part from Akal complex within the Cantarell field in Gulf of Mexico. The complex is operating at shallow depth between 33.00 and 55.00 m at marine soil composed by soft lime clay and high soft lime clay. The Akal complex is one of the most productive areas within the Cantarell field.

Mexico’s government opened its shallow water oil fields for foreign competitors, after the industry is delaying at low oil prices and low technology levels. However, third accident at Pemex platform until the beginning of the year, which sequence of incidents seriously fears the investors and partners of the Mexico’s state oil company.

Source: www.offshoreenergytoday.com

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