NPR News and Music Discovery for the Four Corners

Fire Going Out, Gas Leak Blocked At Gulf Of Mexico Rig

The out-of-control natural gas well in the Gulf of Mexico on Wednesday after it blew out and caught fire.

"Natural gas has stopped flowing to a drilling rig on fire in the Gulf of Mexico," NPR's Jeff Brady tells our Newscast Desk.

As he reports:

"A drilling crew lost control of the well on Tuesday, then gas escaping from the well caught fire. No one was injured, but the flames heavily damaged a drilling rig owned by Houston-based Hercules Offshore.

"The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement says the well — after spewing gas for more than a day — 'bridged over.' When an out-of-control well bridges over, small pieces of sediment and sand flow into the well path and block more gas from escaping.

"The agency says the fire has since decreased to a small flame, fueled by residual gas at the top of the well."

On Wednesday, NPR's Christopher Joyce told us: "Why The Latest Gulf Leak Is No BP Disaster."

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Email
Mark Memmott is NPR's supervising senior editor for Standards & Practices. In that role, he's a resource for NPR's journalists – helping them raise the right questions as they do their work and uphold the organization's standards.
Related Stories
  1. Military families in Hawaii spark trial over 2021 jet fuel leak that tainted water
  2. CDC says 3 women diagnosed with HIV after receiving 'vampire facial'
  3. World Central Kitchen says it will resume operations in Gaza
  4. Jewish students at Columbia meet with Speaker Mike Johnson