Chevron confirms one missing following platform fire in Angolan waters

• BBTT platform fire: A fire on May 20 at Chevron’s BBLT platform offshore Cabinda, Angola, left one person missing and injured 17. Production had been shut down since May 1.
• Response: The fire was extinguished, emergency protocols activated. Medical care continues along with search efforts as officials investigate the cause.
• BBTT platform details: Located 60 miles offshore, BBLT is designed to produce 220,000 b/d of oil and house 157 people. 

Chevron Corp. has confirmed that one person is missing following a fire that broke out May 20 on the Benguela Belize Lobito Tomboco (BBLT) platform in Block 14 offshore the Angolan province of Cabinda.

On May 20, the National Agency for Petroleum, Gas and Biofuels (ANPG) noted 17 people were confirmed injured, four seriously, following the incident that occurred on the basement deck of the deepwater platform, operated by Chevron subsidiary Cabinda Gulf oil Co. Ltd. (CABGOC), around 3:00 am local time.

The fire has been extinguished, and protocols were activated to implement emergency response procedures and notify relevant authorities.

Injured individuals are receiving medical care and the cause of the fire is currently under investigation, ANPG said, noting the incident occurred “at a time when the BBLT facility was undergoing annual maintenance as part of a scheduled shutdown, with all production at the site having been shut down since May 1, 2025.”

In an emailed statement to Oil & Gas Journal May 21, a Chevron spokesperson confirmed, as had ANPG in a May 21 release, that one individual is missing.

“Following the incident at the Benguela Belize Lobito Tomboco (BBLT) platform, Cabinda Gulf Oil Company Limited (CABGOC) has verified that one individual is currently reported missing. CABGOC continues to work closely with the relevant government agencies and to conduct search and rescue operations. The safety and well-being of our workforce remains our highest priority. CABGOC is collaborating with its contracting partners to provide support to the impacted individuals and their families. We will provide further updates as more information becomes available.”

BBLT platform specs

According to a Chevron fact sheet, the BBLT platform is a drilling production platform sited about 60 miles offshore of the Cabinda coast. The topsides are supported by a compliant piled tower in 1,281 ft of water with a design life of 25 years and a production rate of 220,000 b/d of oil and provides living quarters for 157 people.