Three workers have reportedly drowned after an offshore rig sank in the al-Safaniya Oil Field on Friday 20 December 2013. The three have been identified as two Indian and one Bangladeshi Nationals. twenty-four other workers were evacuated, with only minor injuries.The Saudi Arabian Oil Co. operated rig was 35 km off the port of Ras Al Khafji at the time of the incident.
The location of the al-Safaniya and other oil fields around the Persian Gulf. University of Southampton.
The al-Safaniya Oil Field was discovered in 1952, and produces 1.2 million barrels of oil per day. Itis considered to be the world's largest offshore oil field. An inquirey into the cause of the accident is ongoing.
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