47 rescued from Gulf rig; natural gas leaking
7/23/2013NEW ORLEANS — Federal authorities say natural gas but not oil is flowing uncontrolled from a well off the Louisiana coast, forcing the evacuation of 47 workers aboard an oil rig.
No injuries have been reported.
The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement says inspectors flying over the site today saw a light sheen covering an area about a half-mile by 50 feet. However, it was dissipating quickly.
The bureau says the leak happened early today about 55 miles offshore.
Earlier this month, a gas well leaked for several days before being sealed off the Louisiana coast.
In 2010, an oil rig exploded off the state’s coast, leading to a blowout that spewed millions of gallons of oil into the Gulf in the worst offshore disaster in the U.S.