The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) has released its Investigation Report on the August 1, 2021 fire that occurred on the South Pelto (PL) 23-D Platform. The offshore platform is operated by Talos Energy Offshore LLC. During the incident, a production operator on the platform observed smoke coming from the stack of the platform’s heater treater. He investigated the source, and discovered a fire behind the front cover hatch. The Operator and PIC used a dry chemical extinguisher to put out the fire.
According to BSEE report, this was another in a long history of fires involving this piece of equipment:
A pattern of fires has occurred on this vessel, one on February 29, 2016 and one on April 8, 2018. Since the fire in 2018, a new fire tube was fabricated and installed. A full inspection was completed in April of 2021 of the current fire tube by Oceaneering.
The BSEE investigation found that the temperature that the equipment was operating at were in excess of the maximum operating temperature as indicated by the manufacturer. The problem appeared to be that the operating procedures for the heater treater did not include the temperature limits. The BSEE report determined the contributing cause of the incident:
Operating procedures did not show the high temperature settings of the fire tube.
Ultimately, the procedures on a platform should be detailed enough in order to cover all of the important steps on a job, and warn about the operating limits of equipment involved. Accidents like this are often known risks, which much be planned for by platform owners and operators. Precautions and safety protocols must be in place before work commences.
Our attorneys have extensive experience in maritime injury and wrongful death litigation in courts across the country and the skills needed to represent the families of loved ones who have lost their lives as a result of the negligence of another party, or been seriously injured. We have handled numerous cases involving injuries that occurred following fires or explosions on offshore platforms. The experienced offshore accident attorneys at Spagnoletti Law Firm can help you understand your rights if you or a loved one was a victim of an offshore accident. Please contact us online or call 713-804-9306 or to learn more about your legal rights.