1 Body Found in Black Elk Platform Explosion, Regulators Subpoena Company
The U.S. Chemical Safety Board issued a subpoena to the owner of the oil and gas platform that exploded last week, the government agency said Monday.
The explosion Friday of Black Elk Energy Offshore Operations LLC's platform left one worker dead, four critically injured and one missing. The Board, an independent federal agency that investigates industrial accidents, issued a subpoena seeking details on the company's safety and environmental management plans and audits by the U.S. Department of Interior, a spokesman for the board said. Black Elk must respond to the subpoena by Nov. 30, the spokesman said.
A Black Elk representative wasn't immediately available for comment.
The explosion occurred about 20 miles offshore of Grand Isle, La., on a production platform that had suspended operations. At least some of the 22 workers from Grand Isle Shipyard Inc. who working on the platform were Philippine nationals, including the worker found dead and the four that were critically injured.
The Philippine Embassy on Monday named contract worker Elroy Corporal as being the dead man found in waters near the accident site on Saturday evening. The remains of Corporal, 42 years old, are now in New Orleans and will be readied for repatriation to the Philippines after authorities perform an autopsy Monday, the embassy said in a statement.
Black Elk Energy hired commercial diving boats to continue the search for the missing worker after the U.S. Coast Guard suspended its search Saturday.
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Read their latest official statement below:
Black Elk is expanding and enhancing its efforts to locate a worker who is still missing. This morning, we hired a second and third commercial dive boat and initiated a beach search with Plaquemines Parish Sheriff's Department. We have also contacted all helicopter companies that fly in the area to help visual search efforts. In addition, tomorrow we will search the impacted area and other locations on the platform with a search & rescue dog.
Last night, the U.S. Coast Guard announced that it was suspending its search and rescue efforts. The Coast Guard deserves tremendous credit for the extraordinary dedication and professionalism their search team demonstrated in response to the incident at our Gulf of Mexico facility.
As we announced last night, we recovered one of the missing workers and the U.S. Coast Guard transported the individual to its station in Grand Isle, La. The local fire chief and ambulance service received the body around11:45 pm. The body was taken to the corners office in Jefferson Parish.
We remain focused on the victims and their families, including those injured in the incident. An official investigation has begun to examine the facts surrounding this incident, and we will continue to cooperate with all authorities as this process develops.