Brazil Petrobras Reports Fire At Platform;No Deaths,Oil Spill
August 12 2010 - 8:54AM
Dow Jones News
Brazilian state-run oil company Petroleo Brasileiro (PBR,
PETR4.BR), or Petrobras, told local port authorities late Wednesday
that a fire broke out at an offshore oil platform, days after union
officials complained about offshore safety.
The fire broke out after water and hydrocarbon vapors condensed
on equipment in the P-35 platform's gas treatment unit, press
officials with Brazil's 1st Naval District told Dow Jones
Newswires. The platform is installed at the prolific Marlim field
in the Campos Basin, where more than 85% of the country's crude is
produced.
Platform workers responded to control the fire, and there were
no deaths or environmental issues related to the accident, a
spokeswoman said. Petrobras officials were not immediately
available to comment.
The accident underscored concerns about offshore safety in the
wake of the BP PLC (BP, BP.LN) accident in the Gulf of Mexico,
where the company's Macondo field gushed crude from a well blowout
that took months to shut down.
The union representing platform workers complained earlier this
week about working and safety conditions at several offshore
platforms, including P-31, P-32, P-33 and P-35. Photos published in
local newspapers showed rusted equipment and stairwells that union
officials called dangerous.
The P-33 platform was inspected Wednesday by oil regulators and
Navy officials. Details on the inspection were expected to be
released in coming days. Last week, a local labor court ordered the
platform shut down - but Petrobras obtained an injunction to keep
P-33 operating.
Late Wednesday, Petrobras said in a statement that it worked to
maintain platforms in the harsh environment.
"Platforms on the high seas are submitted to an extremely
corrosive atmosphere, typical of marine environments," Petrobras
said.
Petrobras said that the P-33 platform would be shut down for
maintenance in October.
-By Jeff Fick, Dow Jones Newswires; 55-21-2586-6085;
jeff.fick@dowjones.com
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