Three dead, ten injured in FPSO explosion off Brazil

Three workers were killed, ten injured, and six are missing, after an explosion on a Floating Production Storage Offloading unit, operated by Petrobras, offshore Brazil.

The FPSO, which has been operating since June 2009 in the post-salt of the Camarupim and Camarupim Norte fields, some 120 km off the Espírito Santo state coast, is owned by the Oslo-Based BW Offshore.

Karl C. Arnet, BW Offshore CEO said:

“It is with deep sadness that we learned that at 1250 hrs today an explosion occurred onboard the FPSO Cidade de Sao Mateus which we operate on behalf of Petrobras in Brazil.

“Based on information we have at present, three fatalities have been confirmed. Ten others sustained injuries. Petrobras triggered the emergency response and relevant authorities have been informed. Production has been stopped and the unit has been shut down.”

“This is a sad day for all of us at BW Offshore and our thoughts are with the families of those we have lost.”

Six Missing

Petrobras, Brazil’s state-run oil company, in a separate statement, confirmed the incident. It said that there were 74 workers on board at the time of the explosion.

The oil company said that the workers who sustained injuries have been transferred by helicopter to receive medical care in the city of Vitória. Six workers are still missing.

“The accident was controlled by the immediate deployment of the Contingency Plan, mobilizing all the necessary recourses. FPSO operations have been shut down. Production at the platform was around 2.2 million cubic meters of natural gas per day,” Petrobras said.

[mappress mapid=”1231″]

Offshore Energy Today Staff