Thread: Another oil rig overturns in Louisiana

Apr 30, 2010

Another oil rig overturns in Louisiana

05:07 PM

Reuters is reporting that a "mobile inland drilling unit" has overturned in the Charenton channel at Morgan City, La.

The Coast Guard is responding. No damage reports yet.

Watch for updates.

Update at 5:25 p.m. ET: The rig, with a capacity of 20,000 gallons of diesel, is not leaking fuel "at this time," the Coast Guard says in a news release. It isn't yet know how much fuel is aboard.

As a precaution, 500 feet of containment boom has been placed around the rig and another 500 feet will be placed in the canal as a backup. Vessels are being prevented from entering the channel without permission.

A salvage plan is being developed.

Update at 5:39 p.m. ET: The Oil Gas Glossary explains that the mobile rig is "used exclusively to drill offshore exploration and development wells and that floats upon the surface of the water when being moved from one drill site to another. It may or may not float once drilling begins. Two basic types of mobile offshore drilling units are used to drill most offshore wildcat wells: bottom-supported drilling rigs and floating drilling rigs."

No word on who owns the rig or whether it may have been enlisted to help stop the spill in the Gulf.

http://content.usatoday.com/communities ... ouisiana/1

Communist or Mexican Terrorism perhaps?