PEMEX said a fire broke out on 22 August at its E-Ku A2 platform of the Ku-A processing center, part of the Ku-Maloob-Zaap field cluster in Campeche Sound. The state-owned oil company confirmed one person died, six were injured, and five more missing at the time of the fire.
The blaze started around 3:10 p.m. in the afternoon. According to Pemex, valves were closed and monitoring was carried out. The fire was brought under control around 4:30 p.m. The company has continued a search for the missing workers and has started an investigation in the cause and origin of the fire.
The injured were being treated for burns in hospitals, Reuters said.
In a statement, the company also said it was “stabilizing the integrity of the facilities” as well as assessing damage caused by the blaze.
Just last month, a leak in the 12-in. pneumatic pumping pipeline that feeds the wells at the Ku-C platform resulted in gas escaping to the surface that was later ignited by lightning from a thunderstorm in the area.
Bad weather appears to have set off the chain of events that led to that fire, including the pneumatic pumping gas turbocharging equipment necessary to produce the wells being knocked out of operation.
