The blast sparked a fire on the platform about 100 miles south of Louisiana's Vermilion Bay, four months after the Deepwater Horizon disaster. But this time, there was no immediate sign of an oil leak.
Gerald Herbert, AP
Boats spray water on an oil and gas platform that exploded in the Gulf of Mexico, off the coast of Louisiana, on Thursday. All 13 crew members were rescued.
Troedsson said the platform's owner, Mariner Energy, initially reported a slight sheen of oil measuring about a mile long and 100 feet wide. But Coast Guard boats in the area as well as aerial patrols saw no sign of any oil.
"We're ready to respond if any sheen becomes visible, " Troedsson said. "We're actively looking."
Almost all of the 13 workers had time to put on "Gumby" immersion suits before abandoning the platform. The Coast Guard dispatched five helicopters, a plane, four patrol boats and two cutters to the area, but an offshore supply vessel got there first and picked up the workers, Troedsson said.
He said all 13 were taken to Terrebonne General Medical Center in Houma, La., but there were no serious injuries. Gov. Bobby Jindal visited them at the hospital this afternoon.
"They didn't have any visible injuries and they're eager to get home as soon as possible,'' the governor said, according to The Times-Picayune newspaper.
Authorities said they don't know yet don't know what caused the blast. Troedsson said the fire on the platform had been extinguished this afternoon.
Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer Bill Colclough told CNN the platform wasn't processing oil at the time.
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Houston-based Mariner Energy is an independent oil and gas exploration and production company in the Gulf of Mexico. About 85 percent of its production comes from offshore, with a growing share of that coming from deepwater developments, according to its website.The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management said the platform was authorized to produce oil and natural gas, but had been undergoing maintenance at the time and wasn't active, USA Today reported.
The explosion comes four months after the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded 200 miles to the east. The April 20 explosion killed 11 people and caused oil to gush into the Gulf of Mexico, leading to one of the worst environmental disasters in U.S. history.
More Coverage:
- What Exploded in Vermilion Bay: An Oil Rig or a Platform?
- Oil Platform Explosion Causes Panic Over Unconfirmed New Spill
- Vermilion Bay: 3 Things to Know About Gulf Oil Platform Explosion Site
- Mariner Energy: What You Need to Know about the Owner of Vermilion 380