The U.S. Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) has been assisting the Jefferson Parrish authorities with the investigation of the recent Lake Pontchartrain oil and gas platform explosion and fire.
The BSEE said on Thursday that the organization had received a request on Sunday for assistance with the explosion on a platform explosion in Louisiana’s Lake Pontchartrain.
The regulator assigned an engineer, an inspector and an investigator in New Orleans to assist with the investigation.
To remind, seven workers were injured in the blast and fire that hit the Clovelly Oil Company-owned platform on Sunday. Also, a worker went missing during the accident. The U.S. Coast Guard called off the search and rescue mission for the worker earlier this week .
“When incidents happen on offshore production platforms, the Bureau analyzes the evidence, interviews witnesses, determines the cause, and makes recommendations to prevent similar future events,” the BSEE said in Thursday’s statement.
BSEE Gulf of Mexico Region director Lars Herbst said: “BSEE has the expertise to investigate offshore energy facility incidents. Our investigations team has specialized training, they know what to look for when incidents occur on offshore facilities, and they know the laws and regulations that govern oil and gas platform investigations.”
Jefferson Parish Fire Department investigations supervisor, Eric Bacon , added: “The knowledge that was conveyed about the equipment, processes, and procedures was invaluable.”
With more than 2,100 production platforms on the OCS, BSEE works on ensuring that all OCS oil and gas operations are safe and environmentally sustainable. BSEE said it would remain available to the parish, state, and other federal agencies for consultation and assistance throughout this investigation.