On Saturday, September 13, 2014, a contract worker was killed and two more were injured when an explosion occurred while they were performing routine maintenance on a natural gas pipeline owned by Chevron Midstream Pipeline, LLC.
The incident occurred at approximately 11:10 A.M. on a platform just south of the western end of Marsh Island in Louisiana waters. While Gareth Johnstone, spokesman for Chevron, did not initially pinpoint a cause of the explosion, subsequent investigations have revealed that it was most likely caused by a blown valve.
The pipeline has been shut in since the explosion as authorities continue to monitor the environmental impact of this tragic accident.
Interestingly, while the explosion happened just after 11 A.M., authorities weren’t contacted until 2 P.M.
According to Col. Mike Edmonson of the Louisiana State Police, authorities are planning to look closely at the incident as well as to determine why the company waited over three hours before reporting the deadly blowout.