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

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.