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NEWS > BUSINESS > EXPLODING OIL RIGS STILL ALL THE RAGE IN THE GULF
EXPLODING OIL RIGS STILL ALL THE RAGE IN THE GULF
August 2 2010
Venice, LA – There was a time when people though that the oil flowing from the BP well disaster would never stop, but it did. Eventually the company, after trying all sorts of things to stop the flow, was able to cap the well and stop the crude from 
flowing into the ocean and though it will still take years before a full environmental analysis is complete, it appears that the region got off easy. There was no disaster like when the Exxon Valdez ran aground, there was no environmental cataclysm.
That of course doesn’t mean that such a possibility isn’t ahead for the region. The Gulf after all is heavily populated with oil drilling rigs and though many will have stepped up their safety protocols in light of the BP disaster, accidents can still happen, and that appears to be the case already. On Thursday another oil rig, 200 kilometres from the BP well, exploded and sent plumes of smoke high into the midday sky. Though it appears that the rig, and most importantly the well head, is largely intact with little or no oil pouring into the ocean, the possibility remains a frightening possibility. However much of that may be fear mongering and many are concerned may get in the way of the process of drilling and of the increasingly popular practice of blowing up expensive pieces of hardware in the middle of the ocean.
“At around 9:00 AM Central Daylight Time there was an explosion aboard a floating oil platform owned by the company Mariner Energy. The smoke was spotted by an overhead helicopter who immediately reported the incident to the Coast Guard. All thirteen men aboard were rescued from the water,” said a Coast Guard spokesperson. “It does not appear that any oil has spilled into the water at this point and we believe that any threat of further spillage is minimal at best. The fire onboard the platform has been extinguished and we are currently beginning an investigation into the incident.”
Mariner Energy has reportedly been under serious financial difficulty of late but it is not clear if that influenced the decision to blow up the rig.
“This was either a brilliant move or a totally stupid one. There is going to be an 
investigation and there is going to be a lot of questions but most importantly there is going to be a lot of insurance money that could be used to repair this aging deck. However in light of the BP explosion I expect public sympathy to be limited,” said Scrape TV Business analyst Ken Green. “Normally you hear stories of heroics and how people have managed to survive these things but right now all anyone is thinking is whether or not there are going to be any more chocolate birds, and not the good kind of chocolate, the kind of chocolate that stays in your mouth, the kind that coats your throat. Most certainly not the good kind of chocolate.”
Mariner Energy has denied blowing up their rig, as was expected.
“Personally I like chocolate the best. I would put milk chocolate second. I frankly don’t like the dark chocolate at all. I’ve tried to like it but it’s never really happened for whatever reason. I really don’t get how people can eat that stuff,” continued Green. “Anyway, back to the oil thing. In a normal circumstance people would be all concerned about the safety of the people and that would bring about a lot of good will and a lot of coin but that likely won’t be the case this time around. It’s really bad timing but I guess that’s why they are Mariner Energy. I write about business and I haven’t even heard of them. The big boys know how to play their cards, that’s why they are the big boys. Whatever the outcome, at least it was a good show.”
Officials for Mariner Energy were not available for comment as they prepped their offices for new furniture which was purchased only a few days before the explosion.
William Ashford, Business Correspondent
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