Developing: Oil Rig Explosion In Gulf of Mexico

Right now, details are scant, but apparently there was some kind of explosion at another oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico and Coast Guard and other rescue helicopters and craft are on route to a rig located south of Vermilion Bay.

UPDATE:
This is a map of the general vicinity.


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UPDATE:
Reports seem to indicate that rig workers were in the water but were accounted for. The report was apparently called in by a helicopter in the vicinity of the incident 80 miles south of Vermillion Bay; no word on whether it was a production platform or a drilling rig.

The platform involved is called Vermilion 380 (corrected from 398), and owned by Mariner Energy.

UPDATE:
The platform is located in 377 2,500 340 feet of water.

The explosion sparked a fire aboard the oil rig, owned by Mariner Energy. It occurred west of the site of the April blast that caused the massive BP oil spill.

A commercial helicopter company reported the blast around 9:30 a.m. CDT Thursday, Coast Guard Petty Officer Casey Ranel said. Seven helicopters, two airplanes and four boats were en route to the site, about 80 miles south of Vermilion Bay along the central Louisiana coast.

The Coast Guard said initial reports indicated all 13 crew members from the rig were in the water. One was injured, but the others were said to be OK and awaiting rescue.

The platform is in about 2,500 feet of water, the Coast Guard said, and was not currently producing.

UPDATE:
It looks like MSNBC corrected the depth to 340 feet. The platform was still burning several hours after the initial explosion.

The Department of Homeland Security said the platform, known as Vermilion Oil Platform 380, was owned by Mariner Energy of Houston. DHS said it was not producing oil and gas but the company in a prepared statement said that during the last week of August, production from the facility averaged about 9.2 million cubic feet of natural gas per day and 1,400 barrels of oil and condensate per day.

Company records show that the platform and rig is in 340 feet of water.