Fire Aboard Natural Gas Rig in Gulf Down to a 'Small Flame' - East Idaho News
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Fire Aboard Natural Gas Rig in Gulf Down to a ‘Small Flame’

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Hercules 265  7 23 13LG?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1374764424892Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement(NEW ORLEANS) — The fire that started on board a drilling rig off the coast of Louisiana after a natural gas well blew out of control earlier this week is almost out.

“The fire has decreased to a small flame fueled by residual gas at the top of the well,” the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) said in a statement Thursday.

According to the agency, the blaze began Tuesday night when natural gas leaking from the well ignited.  No injuries were reported and no one was on board the rig at the time of the explosion — it was evacuated earlier when the leak first started.

The BSEE said it confirmed on Thursday that the gas flowing out of well has stopped. 

It is not yet clear what caused the blowout.

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