Oil Rig Explosion: Mariner Energy off Vermilion Bay

An oil rig explosion from the Mariner Energy facility south of Vermillion Bay has been reported Thursday. The incident is located west of the site of the BP Deepwater Horizon accident.

The facility is owned by Mariner Energy Inc., an independent oil and gas exploration, development, and production company based in Houston. The company holds 350 offshore exploration leases, with 110 currently in development, according to the company’s website.

The platform collected production from seven wells producing about 1,400 barrels of oil per day and 9 million cubic feet of gas.