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Chevron Hit with $5 Billion Suit for Deadly Nigerian Gas Rig Explosion
From Ring of Fire:
Nigerian residents are suing Chevron Corp., one of the world’s six largest oil companies, over a 2012 offshore gas exploration rig explosion that killed 2 workers. Chevron was presented with a $5 billion lawsuit in California federal court on Monday, Law360 reports.
In January 2012, Chevron’s KS Endeavour drilling rig exploded approximately 6 miles of the coast of Nigeria, the largest oil producer in Africa. Early reports indicated that the deadly explosion and subsequent gas fire were partly the result of a failed blow out preventer, as was the case in BP’s 2010 Gulf oil spill.
The BBC reported that 2 workers had been killed in the explosion. A gas-fueled fire, with flames as high as 16 ft., burned in an approximately 130-ft.-wide area on the surface of the Atlantic off the Nigerian coast. Chevron told the BBC that the fire could burn for months.
The company planned to put out the fire by drilling a hole in the original gas well, through which cement could be poured. “There’ll be 10,000 ft. of drilling and interestingly we need to hit an area that is approximately 12 sq. inches,” a Chevron official told the BBC. “It’s going to take some time, but I cannot predict how long that is going to be – conceivably months.”
In January 2012, Chevron’s KS Endeavour drilling rig exploded approximately 6 miles of the coast of Nigeria, the largest oil producer in Africa. Early reports indicated that the deadly explosion and subsequent gas fire were partly the result of a failed blow out preventer, as was the case in BP’s 2010 Gulf oil spill.
The BBC reported that 2 workers had been killed in the explosion. A gas-fueled fire, with flames as high as 16 ft., burned in an approximately 130-ft.-wide area on the surface of the Atlantic off the Nigerian coast. Chevron told the BBC that the fire could burn for months.
The company planned to put out the fire by drilling a hole in the original gas well, through which cement could be poured. “There’ll be 10,000 ft. of drilling and interestingly we need to hit an area that is approximately 12 sq. inches,” a Chevron official told the BBC. “It’s going to take some time, but I cannot predict how long that is going to be – conceivably months.”
Full story at Ring of Fire.