Mexico – Abkatun Offshore Explosion Findings Released
Mexico’s official findings have been released into the fatal Abkatun-A Permanente platform explosion that killed seven offshore oil and gas workers.
The explosion occurred on 1st April 2015, causing a fire that engulfed much of the platform. At first, it was reported that four had been killed, however a further three workers that were initially reported missing were later pronounced dead.
The offshore platforms operator, Mexican state energy company Pemex, reported that 45 oil and gas workers had also been injured.
ASEA Findings
Mexico’s Agencia de Seguridad, Energia y Ambiente (ASEA), conducted the investigation into the incident.
ASEA is a new agency, setup by the Mexican government in 2014, in the wake of huge energy reform within the North American nation.
ASEA found that the explosion was caused by a leak from a fuel gas line. ASEA added that the line leaked due to an ‘unusual kind of accelerated corrosion due to the presence of micro-organisms and sulphuric acid within the gas,”
ASEA’s report stated that after time, the two elements caused a rupture in the fuel gas line allowing gas within to escape, which in turn ignited.
The report highlighted the fact that new measures had now been put inlace to ensure a repeat incident could not occur within Mexico’s oil and gas industry.
Pemex Penalty
In a press conference for the released of the ASEA report, Carlos de Regules, ASEA director said that Pemex would not face any fine or sanctions as the company did not fail to comply with any “applicable regulations”.
Mr de Regules also highlighted the fact that the ruptured fuel gas line was a line rarely used on the platform.
No statement was made as to compensation to the injured workers or families of the workers deceased.
Abkatun Oil & Gas Field
Mr de Regules indicated that national production was down 9% in the first half of the year due to the incident.
