Fatalities and Injuries Reported Following Fire on Pemex Oil Platform in Mexico

MEXICO CITY – Mexico’s national oil company Pemex confirmed the loss of one contractor’s life and the severe injury of two others in an offshore platform fire, according to a statement released on Sunday. The incident occurred on Saturday afternoon on the Akal-B platform in the southern Gulf of Mexico, a key hub for Pemex’s oil production.

Of the nine workers injured in the blaze, five were Pemex employees while the remaining were contractors from local service providers Diavaz and COTER. Initially, Pemex had reported only two employee injuries, stating the fire was swiftly contained within 16 minutes.

This tragic event adds to a series of accidents plaguing Pemex infrastructure across Mexico over the years. Analysts often attribute these incidents to inadequate maintenance and operational shortcomings.

The Akal-B platform forms a part of Pemex’s aging Cantarell complex, which, despite its age, remains a significant contributor to Mexico’s oil production. While the current output stands at around 200,000 barrels per day, the complex was once among the world’s leading fields, producing over 2 million barrels per day two decades ago.

Pemex has yet to disclose the impact of the fire on oil and gas production from the complex. However, the company stated its commitment to investigating the incident’s cause and implementing necessary measures to resume operations at its processing center.

Image source: Stone