BP's Thunder Horse semisubmersible platform in Mississippi Canyon block 778 in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico, 150 mi southeast of New Orleans, suffered damage from the passing of Hurricane Dennis. Early reports confirmed that the platform is listing an estimated 20-30º. The Thunder Horse field is in development and has not yet begun production.
Offshore staff
BP'sThunder Horse semisubmersible platform in Mississippi Canyon block 778 in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico, 150 mi southeast of New Orleans, suffered damage from the passing of Hurricane Dennis. Early reports confirmed that the platform is listing an estimated 20-30º. The Thunder Horse field is in development and has not yet begun production.
The situation was discovered 8:30 a.m. Monday, July 11 by a vessel in the area. The cause is unknown. The company evacuated personnel from the platform last Friday in anticipation of the hurricane's approach. At this time there has been no known release of any fuel or hazardous substances.
BP immediately activated its incident command structure, notified the appropriate regulatory agencies including the US Minerals Management Service and the US Coast Guard, and conducted flights to survey the extent of the damage.
BP is mobilizing response vessels to the location and is working with the Coast Guard to create a response plan. The first priority will be to safely board the vessel for a thorough assessment of its stability and to begin investigating potential causes.
BP and the Coast Guard are collaborating to establish a unified command in Morgan City, Louisiana.
