Coast Guard Responds to Blowout

The Coast Guard continues to monitor this afternoons well blowout for any signs of pollution in the northeast end of Trinity Bay. All five crewmembers aboard the oil platform were rescued safely and without injuries by a passing tugboat. Earlier this evening a Coast Guard HH-65 Dolphin helicopter from Coast Guard Air Station Houston took a Coast Guard environmental protection officer from Coast Guard Marine Safety Office Houston to the scene to assess the situation. They discovered a sheen on the water that is approximately one mile long and 40 yards wide. The owner of the platform, Master Resource, has hired a commercial contractor to respond to the sheen. They are currently on scene with two boats and 2000 feet of containment boom. The Texas Railroad Commission also has a field inspector on scene monitoring the response and investigating the cause of the accident. While the fire has been extinguished, the platform structure itself is still very hot and continues to smolder. Safety observers from Master Resource will remain on scene until it can be confirmed that there is no further threat posed by the platform. They will be making hourly reports to the Coast Guard on the status of the situation throughout the night.