Fire at Chevron’s oil platform off Angola injures 17

A fire at Chevron’s deepwater Benguela Belize Lobito Tomboco (BBLT) oil platform off Angola left 17 injured, including four critically.

The fire broke out around 3 am local time in the basement of the multi-story production platform. All personnel have been accounted for, according to Chevron. The platform has living quarters for approximately 157 people.

The US supermajor said the incident happened while the platform was undergoing annual maintenance as part of a scheduled shutdown. Production was halted on May 1. The BBLT platform is located in the Block 14 concession, some 97 km offshore of the Cabinda coast.

The platform is operated by Chevron’s Angolan arm, Cabinda Gulf Oil Company, which successfully extinguished the fire. It also promptly activated all protocols to implement emergency response procedures and notify the relevant authorities.

“The cause of the fire, which broke out in the early hours of the day, is currently under investigation; all of the [17 injured] are now on land and receiving appropriate medical care,” the Angolan National Agency for Petroleum, Gas, and Biofuels said in a statement.