A gas rig belonging to the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) has been burning since around midnight local time between Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 August 2013 (about 7.00 pm on Saturday 17 August GMT). The No 90 Exploration Well, roughly 80 km south of Baku on the Bulla Deniz Gas Field near Bulla Island, began to vent gas uncontrollably about an hour before the gas ignited. All 62 personnel were safely evacuated from the rig, but attempts to cut of the gas supply and extinguish the fire have been as yet unsuccessful.
Fire on board the Socar No 90 Exploration Well. Offshore Energy Today.
The rig was apparently carrying our exploratory drilling when it hit a pocket of gas at unexpectedly high pressure at a depth of 5868 m, and was unable to control the outflow of gas. The rig is standing in about 26 m of water in the northeastern part of the Bulla Deniz Gas Field. The field has been in production since 1968, and is thought to hold over 110 trillion liters of gas.
SOCAR are understood to have asked BP, who also carry out operations in the area, for help in extinguishing the blaze.
See also Burning gas rig off the coast of Louisiana, North Sea oil rig partially evacuated following leak, Oil rig runs aground on Sitkalidak Island on New Years Day, Two feared dead after explosion on oil rig in Gulf of Mexico and How the Deepwater Horizon oil spill effected wildlife on the Gulf of Mexico.
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