One dead, 45 injured after Pemex platform explodes in Bay of Campeche

April 1, 2015
One worker has died and at least 45 were injured following an explosion and subsequent fire early Apr. 1 from the Abkatun Permanente platform operated by Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex) in the Bay of Campeche, the state oil firm reported.

One worker has died and at least 45 were injured following an explosion and subsequent fire early Apr. 1 from the Abkatun Permanente platform operated by Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex) in the Bay of Campeche, the state oil firm reported.

The worker who was killed was a contractor for Mexican oil services company Cotemar. Pemex also reported that two workers are in serious condition, undergoing treatment at a hospital in Ciudad del Carmen.

An emergency response plan was activated and 300 workers were transported to neighboring platforms. Eight firefighting boats are currently operating in the area.

A cause for the explosion and fire has yet to be specified.

Production from the Abkatun-Pol-Chuc project declined considerably to less than 300,000 b/d in 2013 from peak levels of more than 700,000 b/d in the mid-1990s, according to data from the Energy Information Administration.