BSEE – Officer of the Watch

Offshore Platform Blowout – Investigation Report

December 30, 2013 by Officer of the Watch Leave a Comment

This incident refers to a a brief loss of well control that occurred onboard an offshore platform in the Gulf of Mexico a few years ago. The operator was attempting to pull the tubing free of the seal assembly in a Baker SC-2 packer set at 10,830 feet to repair the Surface Controlled Subsurface Safety Valve (SCSSV) set at 350 feet (RKB) or 232 feet below mud line. In the attempt to retrieve the hanger, the 2 7/8-inch, P-105 tubing parted at approximately 4300 feet while working the pipe up and down. The 2 7/8-inch tubing began getting pushed out of the hole by well pressure and fluid in the annulus began flowing.

Blowout and Subsequent Fire On Offshore Platform – Investigation Report

December 23, 2013 by Officer of the Watch Leave a Comment

This incident took place almost a decade ago and refers to a rig blowout and the subsequent fire that broke on the platform. Initially the Rig was conducting directional drilling operations. After a stand being pulled the well began flowing at an increasing rate. The annular diverter element was closed and the well was put into the diverter system. The alarm was sounded to evacuate the Rig and Platform. After a while the end of the port diverter pipe blew off and an uncontrolled flow of gas, water, sand, and hydrocarbons caught fire. The fire from the uncontrolled flow out of the diverter was spread on the Rig floor.

Blowout and Consequent Fire onboard Offshore Platform – Investigation Report

November 18, 2013 by Officer of the Watch Leave a Comment

This investigation report refers to an accident that took place during an attempt to weld the casing head of a slip-on wellhead, gas flow was noticed coming from the +10 valve. Later, unsuccessful attempts were made to stop the flow, which was then coming from the drive pipe/surface casing annular region. The gas flow eventually ignited and caused extensive damage to the platform. The well bridged over and kill operations were completed successfully and fortunately there were no injuries.

Enclosed Space Flash Explosion Onboard Offshore Platform – Investigation Report

November 4, 2013 by Officer of the Watch Leave a Comment

This incident information refers to an accident that occurred onboard an offshore platform in the Gulf of Mexico during maintenance and repair operations to clean several production vessels, including a high-pressure separator, the floatation cell, the wet-oil tank, and two stacked low-pressure separators, upper and lower. A flash fire ignited within one of the vessel’s causing injuries to four crew members.

Fatal Fall Through “V” Door Onboard Offshore Platform – Investigation Report

August 26, 2013 by Officer of the Watch Leave a Comment

This accident investigation report refers to the occupational accident that occurred onboard the platform workover rig Pride 14 on 17 June 2002. The rig was being erected preparatory to conducting workover operations. While the derrick was being raised, a gate across the V-door inadvertently opened. The driller, who was apparently braced against that gate, fell backwards, lost his hard hat, and was fatally injured when he impacted equipment on the lower level, 19 feet below the rig floor.

Riser Disconnect and Blowout – Incident Investigation

July 8, 2013 by Officer of the Watch Leave a Comment

This accident investigation report refers to the accidental riser disconnect and subsequent uncontrolled flow during drilling operations which occurred on Mississippi Canyon Block 538 in February 2000. The Ocean Concord (semi-submersible mobile offshore drilling unit) was in the process of running a liner on drill pipe when the lower marine riser package (LMRP) was inadvertently disconnected from the blowout preventer (BOP) stack. The disconnect resulted in the discharge to the sea of approximately 806 barrels of synthetic mud from the riser and 150 barrels of synthetic mud and 150-200 barrels of crude oil from the wellbore.

Pipeline Leak – Investigation Report

July 1, 2013 by Officer of the Watch Leave a Comment

This investigation report by the US Minerals Management Service (MMS) was conducted in conjunction with the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) and is referring to several pollution events were reported in the Main Pass Block 288 area GoM, over a three-week time period beginning 31 May 2007. On 31 May 2007, the National Response Center (NRC) received a report that indicated a 350-foot by 100-foot oil slick had been sighted in the Main Pass Block 288 area. In the following three weeks, four additional oil slicks of various sizes, color, and consistency were reported in the same area. On 23 June 2007, a major spill (the Spill) was reported to NRC in a subsequent report. The Spill covered an area 30 miles in length by 6 miles wide and was later estimated to be comprised of 187 barrels (bbls) of oil.

Fatal Fall from Offshore Platform – Investigation Report

April 1, 2013 by Officer of the Watch Leave a Comment

On the morning of May 19, 2000, a contract employee was using a portable of Accident winch (come-along) to remove a section of removable guardrail for the purpose of accommodating the installation of the mounting beams of a temporary crane. One end of the come-along was attached to the section of guardrail to be removed, while the other end was attached to a section of fixed guardrail located approximately 5 feet above the guardrail to be removed. As tension was applied to the come-along, the upper guardrail failed at its base welds and detached from the deck. As a result of the detachment, the employee fell approximately 60 feet to the Plus 10 deck and sustained fatal injuries.

BSEE Notification to Black Elk Regarding Safety Measures

December 11, 2012 by Officer of the Watch Leave a Comment

During November the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement issued a latter notifying Black Elk Energy Offshore Operations, LLC (Black Elk) that the company must take immediate steps to improve its safety performance on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). According to BSEE the notification to Black Elk was the result of unacceptable safety performance following numerous incidents involving Black Elk facilities. BSEE gave specific instructions to Black Elk regarding corrective actions that the company should take in order to safety measures up to BSEE standards.