Hercules Rig Fire Incident: BSEE Fails Test

[Thor]

Hercules Rig Fire Incident: BSEE Fails Test
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By Rob Almeida On July 25, 2013
   
A well blew out, a rig is abandoned, and a fire raged uncontrollably in the Gulf of Mexico for an entire day this week.

For many, it was a stark reminder of the dangers involved in offshore drilling and in particular, the Deepwater Horizon disaster, an epic tragedy that unfolded in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010.

Since then, the oil and gas industry has encountered enormous public scrutiny, and government oversight by an organization called the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE).  According to a statement on their website, “BSEE works to promote safety, protect the environment, and conserve resources offshore through vigorous regulatory oversight and enforcement.”

But who oversees BSEE to make sure they are doing an adequate job?

The public.

This recent incident has made it plainly clear however that BSEE has very little interest in informing the public of what they are up to, or the incidents that are happening in the gulf.  In fact, the fire at the Hercules 265 rig has been out for the past 5 or 6 hours, but their website still hasn’t been updated and even after repeated phone calls and emails, BSEE never gave us an update via email or via phone.

We got the news from our anonymous eyes and ears spread throughout the Gulf of Mexico.

Even more ridiculous is the fact their latest posted update from yesterday goes to a 404 error.

In speaking with some folks is the mainstream media, it seems clear that BSEE was also heavily influential in any of the statements that were sent out from Walter Oil and Gas, even though they had contracted FTI Consulting to support them with this PR nightmare.

C Y A

BSEE undoubtably took dozens of images and video of the burning well yesterday… but they only released one.  Why?

Images of burning rigs invokes a LOT of scrutiny not only of those who operate the rigs, but also those who regulate them.  BSEE clearly didn’t want the scrutiny so they kept the industry media in the dark and gave them only what they wanted to tell them.  Everything was vetted.

Even images shot by the U.S. Coast Guard, which is an agency under the Department of Homeland Security, could not be released until approved by BSEE, an organization under the Department of the Interior.

Images of a burning rig doesn’t pose a security threat, but censoring these images and video makes you wonder who is really working for who.

If we can’t trust the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement to be completely open to the media, how do we know that they doing their jobs any better than what was done during the days of the Minerals Management Service?

Deceptive statements

Yesterday, BSEE noted that one of the vessels was spraying a “water curtain” at the burning rig.  ”A water curtain’s purpose is not to extinguish the fire, but to provide heat protection to the rig,” noted BSEE.

That’s interesting because our sources have told us that the ships couldn’t come within 100 yards of the rig due to the overwhelming heat being generated by the blaze.  How do you throw a water curtain from 100 yards away?

You don’t.  BSEE was trying to tell us that they were doing something, but in reality, nothing useful at all was being done, or could be done.

From my perspective, BSEE is failing in their role as an offshore oil and gas industry regulator; not because this well blew out, but because they aren’t supporting those who are asking the tough questions and bringing the real oversight to this industry.

Perhaps in their next update, BSEE could answer these questions, which we sent to the well operator, Walter Oil and Gas:

1) Was the blowout preventer actuated?
 2) What sort of BOP ram system did it have?  How many rams?  What type of rams?
 3) Was there a tool joint inside the BOP when the rams were actuated?
 4) What make/model BOP was it?
 5) What is the Total depth of the blown out well?
 6) How much gas is flowing from the well?
 7) What options does Wild Well Control have to put out the fire and cap the well?

On 26 July we received the following images from an anonymous gCaptain contributor of the well fire from July 24th:
hercules 265 rig fire

hercules 265 rig fire

Any news, images, or video of the Hercules Rig Fire can be sent to tips@gCaptain.com

http://cf.gcaptain.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/IMG_0082-635x476.jpg

[Thor]

Hercules Jack-Up Rig Fire is Out
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By Rob Almeida On July 25, 2013
   

hercules 265 rig
Image: BSEE

Hercules 265
Image: BSEE

Image: BSEE
Image: BSEE

Update 4 (1032 EST 25 July 2013)

The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) is currently returning from their tour of the incident scene and our source indicates that the fire from the well is out and a clean-up plan is in progress.  This would indicate that the well has caved in and sealed itself downhole, effectively removing the fuel source from the blaze.

We have reached out to BSEE and Walter Oil and Gas, but are still waiting for official comments.

Update 3 (0800 EST 25 July 2013):

We just got word from our source that the well bridged over last night.  BSEE is currently on their way to the scene to confirm.

Update 2 (2200 EST 24 July 2013):

A Seacor-owned OSV is currently attempting to cool the rig, however it’s only able to come to about 100 yards of the rig. According to a gCaptain source it is doing little more than misting the charred jack-up rig.  Well intervention experts are unlikely to have much success in killing this well, considering the incredible heat from the blaze.

Images via Anonymous gCaptain contributor:

hercules 265 rig fire

hercules 265 rig fire

Our source did note that the hydrocarbons appeared to have a bit more water and steam mixed into the plume of fire this afternoon, which could indicate that the well may be in the process of bridging off, or killing itself on its own.

Hercules 265 rig fire
Hercules 265 blowout fire, Photo: U.S. Coast Guard

Photo taken from approx. 6 miles away, July 24, 2013. Photo (c) ElCapitan/gCaptain
Photo taken from approx. 6 miles away, July 24, 2013. Photo (c) ElCapitan/gCaptain

As the above image shows, the derrick on board the jack-up and the well platform have largely disintegrated, but the rig itself still appears somewhat structurally sound.

As of this afternoon, our source notes that the wellhead is starting to burn lower than it was burning earlier today, which would indicate significant deterioration or disintegration of the top of the wellhead.
 Minimal sheen is currently visible in the immediate vicinity.

In a statement earlier today by the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE), Walter Oil & Gas has begun preparations to drill a relief well to quell the blaze.  Hercules notes that should a relief well be necessary, they are prepared to “promptly mobilize the Hercules 200, a 200′ mat-supported cantilevered unit to execute drilling of the relief well.”

Earlier update:

BSEE has confirmed this morning that the Hercules 265 jack-up rig has caught fire following a loss of well control on board the rig yesterday.

According to a BSEE statement, the natural gas leaking from the well ignited at 10:50 p.m. CDT July 23, 2013.  No one was on board at the time of the ignition.

hercules 265 crew rescued
The Max Cheramie offshore supply vessel picked up the personnel from the Hercules 265′s lifeboats. These lifeboats were then tied together and the Callie jean towed them into the dock, the K-Line Danos and John G McCall were also on scene. Image via anonymous gCaptain contributor

This likely leaves very few options now to regain control of the fire considering that the primary means of controlling the flow of the fuel source, which is the blowout preventer (BOP), has likely failed.

Unlike the 2010 Deepwater Horizon blowout, the BOP on the Hercules rig is above the water and surrounded by an uncontrolled fire.  Access to it will no doubt be impossible.

The following is video of the gas escaping from the well taken yesterday:


The operator of the field, Walter Oil and Gas can only hope that the uncontrolled flow of gas from the well causes the well to bridge off, aka collapse downhole, and seal itself off in that way, but it may take some time.

The rig is on contract with Walter Oil & Gas Corporation and operating at South Timbalier Block 220 in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, located about 55 miles offshore Louisiana in 154 feet of water.

How a jackup rig blowout occurs

In the 2012 fire involving the jack-up rig KS Endeavor offshore Nigeria, the fire burned for about two months, and there was literally nothing left of the rig by the time the well stopped flowing.  In the meantime however, another jack-up rig was contracted to drill a well to intercept the one that was flowing in order to stem the flow of the well from its source.

This was a very expensive task for both Chevron Nigeria, and indirectly ExxonMobil, who had to disengage their rig from a current project to help quell this incident.

http://gcaptain.com/hercules-jackup-rig-catches-fire-loss-control/