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    Rich Clingan

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    OMM Web Team

Fatalities – 1998

February 6, 1998 – Chevron U.S.A. Inc.

Remarks: The BOP stack was hanging 30 inches above the casing head flange when the next crew came on tour. The personnel were in position to direct/guide the BOP riser bolts into the casing head flange. The driller was positioned at the BOP cable winch/hoist controls. As the driller engaged the hoist, one of the six 3/4 inch steel cables attached to the BOP stack parted. The BOP stack and riser shifted from the vertical position and pinned one employee against a six inch channel beam. Prior to the cable parting, this employee was positioned to give lowering directions to the driller who was positioned one deck level above at the winch controls.

April 22, 1998 – Texaco Exploration & Production Inc.

Remarks: An employee was repairing some equipment on the catwalk area located approximately 90 feet above the main drill deck. A second employee lost control of a stand of extra heavy drill pipe, causing it to strike the top drive traveling block. The noise is believed to have startled the first employee on the catwalk. He stepped into the open access hatch and fell 120 feet to the main production deck.

May 10, 1998 – Ocean Energy Inc.

Remarks: While offloading a "Leap Frog" crane from the platform, the crane fell back onto the platform and pinned two employees. The two deceased personnel were employees of Fluid Crane.

June 2, 1998 – Amoco Production Company

Remarks: Three Sundowner crew members were positioned on the rig crane power pack unit removing the four holding pins. Other Sundowner crew members were in the process of laying the rig crane gantry section onto the platform top deck with the platform crane. Upon completion of laying down the gantry section the crew prepared to hook the platform crane onto the rig crane power pack unit. The three crew members on the rig crane power pack unit removed the pins prematurely before the lifting slings were attached to the power pack unit. Once the pins were removed, the unsecured power pack unit tilted, rolled and fell off the substructure approximately 28 feet to the platform top deck. The three personnel positioned on the power pack unit sustained severe injuries, and one was thrown from the platform into the Gulf. Another crew member sustained major injuries. The body of the person thrown overboard was recovered on June 16, 1998 in the Grand Isle Block 64 area.

July 9, 1998 – Chevron U.S.A Inc

Remarks: An employee was retrieved from the water approximately 3 miles from the platform at 5:30 a.m. He was last seen on the platform at 2:00 p.m. It was assumed that he was fishing and was wearing a PFD. Cause of death is unknown.

July 17, 1998 – Ocean Energy Inc.

Remarks: On the morning of July 17, 1998, during the final stages of rigging-up operations, Nabors Rig 269’s upper substructure was being skidded in preparation for the positioning and raising of the rig’s derrick (mast). As the upper substructure was skidded to within a foot or two of its targeted position, the underlying substructures tilted and slid to the side to which the upper substructure had been skidded. As a result of that movement, the upper substructure, other drilling rig components, and two employees fell into the sea. One of the employees was never found and presumed a fatality; the other was rescued. Two other employees fell onto a barge and were fatally injured. Twelve other employees were injured. See OCS Report MMS 99-0027 for more details.

August 20, 1998 – Seagull Energy Corporation

Remarks: An employee could not be located on the drilling rig ten minutes after having been seen at his work station in the shale shaker area. An unsuccessful search for the employee, which began immediately and included rig personnel, work vessels, and U. S. Coast guard aircraft, was suspended on the following day. While there was no witness to the disappearance, it is concluded that while the employee was working on the mud cleaner desilter cone, the desilter cone clamp parted causing a spray of hot drilling mud to strike the employee, resulting in his falling from the rig into the gulf.

September 2, 1998 – Anadarko Petroleum Corporation

Remarks: Three employees boarded the platform for startup after evacuation for a hurricane. The electrician initiated start-up procedure by bringing on the diesel generator. During the megging operation on the buss bar on the natural gas generator, the electrician was electrocuted. There were no witnesses to the accident.

October 19, 1998 – Shell Offshore Inc.

Remarks: A welder was kneeling or sitting between the Texas deck and the 30-inch drive pipe welding a swedge on the drive pipe. At the same time, the diverter was being lifted off the stump on a deck above the Texas deck. The Texas deck partially sits on the lower deck, and more than half of it hangs over water. The Texas deck is held in place by four cables. Two cables actually come from two air tugger hoists, then split into four cables. Two hoists are used to lift or lower the diverter into place. Each hoist is operated individually by two operators. Apparently one of the two hoists lifting the diverter was raised more than the other, causing the diverter to swing, hitting one of the air tugger hoists holding the Texas deck in place. The brake mechanism came loose, which caused the cable on the spool holding the Texas deck in place to unwind, dropping or sliding the deck, and pinning the welder between the 30-inch drive pipe and the deck.

October 27, 1998 – Marathon Oil Company

Remarks: The accident occurred during an operation of lifting and transferring a chain chaser off the top deck of the rig onto a motor vessel. The crane operator experienced trouble controlling the crane boom with the load attached. He managed to regain control with the manual boom brake. The auxiliary/whip line began to unspool and free fall with the load attached. It stopped approximately 10 feet above the water. The crane started rocking from the effect of the downward force and boom angle. At least one of the roller bearings sheared. The crane separated from the pedestal and fell into the water with the operator still at the controls. Another employee was injured as he jumped from the crane as it began to fall. The crane operator’s body was recovered immediately.

December 23, 1998 – Union Pacific Resources Company

Remarks: An employee was opening a manual wing valve against a closed shutdown valve on another platform when gas escaped from a check valve and a pig launcher. The check valve and launcher were located in a section of piping whose pressure rating was less than the shut-in tubing pressure. The escaping gas was ignited by an unknown source, causing two contract employees and a helicopter pilot to jump into the Gulf. One contract employee and the helicopter pilot were injured while the other contract employee drowned. See OCS Report MMS 99-0067 for more details.