Gulf of Mexico gas rig on fire after blowout

(NEW ORLEANS) — A jackup drilling rig caught fire Tuesday night in the Gulf of Mexico after experiencing a natural gas blowout earlier in the day, NBC News reported. Forty-four workers were evacuated from the Hercules Offshore rig before the fire started. A spokeswoman from the state Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement said personnel from Wild Well Inc. had been brought to the scene and were working to get the fire under control.

Click here to view the NBC News story. 

By Professional Mariner Staff