An oil rig operator that saw two workers killed and 11 hurt in a recent explosion in the Gulf of Mexico had a history of safety violations, US regulators said Wednesday.
The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) notified Black Elk Energy Offshore Operations that it could lose its license to operate offshore platforms if it does not improve its safety performance in the wake of Friday’s blast.
It has also ordered the Houston-based company to immediately cease any work that could pose an ignition risk and not to restart production at any temporarily shut down wells without approval.
The agency said further action could be taken following the conclusion of an investigation into the explosion some 18 miles (29 kilometers) south of Grand Isle, Louisiana.
The deadly fire began while a maintenance crew was cutting through a pipe on a temporarily shut down platform that was not pumping oil.
“Black Elk has repeatedly failed to operate in a manner that is consistent with federal regulations,” agency director James Watson said in a statement.
“This is an appropriate and necessary step as we continue to investigate the explosion and fire that resulted in the tragic loss of life and injuries last week.”
Black Elk operates 98 platforms in the Gulf of Mexico.
Regulators have conducted 238 inspections since it began operations in 2010 and found 315 instances in which it was not following the rules.
A dozen of those incidents were serious enough for inspectors to order the company to shut down the facility because it posed a serious risk to workers or the environment, BSEE said.
Some 145 violations were serious enough to shut down the machine or component operating in violation of the rules.
The company was also cited for an October 2011 incident in which it used an acid-based chemical for treating a well that resulted in the hospitalization of six workers.
It was ordered to pay a $307,000 fine after failing to test a safety valve that was found to have been leaking for 117 days in 2010.
US oil rig operator had poor safety before deadly fire
