Black Elk Energy and contractors 'to blame for oil rig deaths'

The fault for the explosion and subsequent fire that occurred on an offshore oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico in 2012 has been placed on the shoulders of an energy firm and four contractors by a US federal regulator. 

Black Elk Energy Offshore operations LLC did not successfully supervise contractors on the oil rig, according to the Bureau of safety and Environment Enforcement, which led to failings in safety procedures, resulting in the death of three workers in November 2012.

The Bureau of Safety and Environment Enforcement released a report that highlighted the failings that led to the fire, explosion and death of three Filipino workers. As well as the lack of supervision, the bureau also found that contractors hired by Black Elk did not fully train workers, which led to failures in safety guidelines.

According to the report, a number of safety issues resulted in the fatal incident in November. A number of Filipino guest workers said to investigators that they did not raise safety concerns for fear of losing their jobs. 

The fire on the oil rig occurred as workers hired by a subcontractor, Grand Isle Shipyard Inc, welded a pipeline that contained flammable gas. The welding sparks ignited oil tanks that were in the vicinity. Two workers were killed on the site and the third died later on in hospital due to the extent of his injuries.

Originally the Filipino workers were blamed for the incident and the latest report that clears them of fault has been welcomed. Philippine ambassador Jose Cuisia said in a statement: “We welcome the release of the BSEE report that concluded that the deaths of three Filipino workers and the serious injuries sustained by three other Filipino workers were the result of a series of failures on the part of Black Elk Energy and its contractors to create a culture of safety in the work environment." 

Mr Cuisia continued to say that the findings of the report were consistent with the statements that surviving workers from the oil rig gave to the Philippine Embassy.