Industry defends safety efforts

I don't feel that this article is exactly comprehensive and unbiased; however, it does have a few interesting facts. Bluedaze Drilling Reform for Texas has a post with reader submitted photos of the rig that are well worth looking at. TXSharon has also gotten some informative comments on the pictures.

Tuesday’s explosion on a drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico has brought renewed focus on safety standards in the oil and gas industry.

There were 59 deaths and nearly 1,000 fires and explosions on offshore rigs from 2001-2009, according to data provided by the U.S. Minerals Management Service.

Tuesday’s explosion would be the worst U.S. offshore oil rig disaster since 1964, when 21 crew members were killed in a blowout on a Gulf drilling barge.

Such accidents are a constant threat in the Gulf of Mexico, where 1.7 million barrels of oil and 6.6 billion cubic feet of natural gas are produced every day.

Approximately 35,000 people are working offshore in the Gulf at any given time, with 90 rigs and nearly 1,000 production platforms currently in operation. More>>>