Offshore Gas Platform Fire, No injuries

A fire that broke out Thursday morning in the personnel quarters of a natural gas platform in Cook Inlet forced the rig’s crew to flee in a helicopter and sent a plume of black smoke billowing into the sky.

The platform’s living quarters are destroyed, which is where the fire is believed to have started, said Hilcorp and Cathy Foerster with the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission.

The fire appears to be accidental, Foerster said.

Crews from four vessels worked to quash the blaze. As of 11:30 a.m., on-scene responders reported no visible flames, according to a situation report from the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation.

A Coast Guard Hercules HC-130 aircraft crew and an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew monitored the fire. Authorities also enforced a 2-mile maritime safety zone around the platform and a 5-mile, no-fly zone at 5,000 feet, Eggert said.

An estimated maximum of 10,000 gallons of petroleum products are on the platform, with no spill reports as of 11:30 a.m., the ADEC reported. The natural gas well and pipeline infrastructure have been secured.

“Our goal is to mitigate any potential risk to the environment,” said Cmdr. Shane Montoya, Coast Guard federal on-scene coordinator, in a statement.

The platform, one of several structures in the Cook Inlet, was installed in 1965, radio station KSRM reported. Previously owned by Amoco Corporation and then Chevron, production was cut off in 2003. Hilcorp listed Baker as “active” again in February of this year.

Agencies/Canadajournal