FYI - an oil and gas blog is reporting multiple incidents in the Caspian Sea.
Oil and Gas People is learning of a third Major incident in the Caspian Sea off of Azerbaijan as the area takes a beating from a severe storm with waves of over 8m being reported.A Flotel connected to the BP Chirag platform which is currently undergoing a shutdown has moved away from the platform and is reported to have lost at least 3 of its anchors. The Flotel Gurban Abasov which is actually a converted crane barge has a POB of 180 but is believed to have been fully down manned yesterday prior to the storm taking hold.The first seen the collapse of an accommodation module on a Platform in the Oil Rocks. The incident happened earlier this morning and 3 people are still reported missing. It is thought the platform was being battered by high winds and waves of over 8m at the time. The platform is owned by the state oil company of Azerbaijan. The second serious incident on another state oil company platform is approx 30km away and is still developing. It is believed the whole platform is now on fire and evacuation is proving difficult due to severe weather conditions. Oil and Gas People readers who are working on adjacent platforms have been in touch and information from the field is that the fire was caused by a damaged gas riser. The platform was evacuated using small 10 man lifeboats. Latest information from the field is that 63 people were onboard and so far 42 have been confirmed rescued. It has been reported that strong winds are preventing the lifeboats getting away from the platform. 2 firefighting boats have been mobilised and a diving vessel is also involved in the rescue operation. The incident has been ongoing since 18:00 local time. 6 BP Platforms are in close vicinity but are not thought to be affected.This is a breaking story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
