According to the Wall Street Journal, the affected platform, known as platform 10, produces about 6,000 barrels per day and is a hub for other SOCAR oil fields.
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Azeri state energy company, Socar, pressed on with the search operation, using helicopters and other vessels supplied by the emergencies ministry.
Socar said that rescue efforts have been hindered due to a severe storm, with firefighters still working to control the blaze. The worker did not want to be named.
SOCAR said that another of its oil rigs in the Caspian Sea was also hit by Friday’s storm, and that workers from there were still missing as of Saturday.
“We continue the search-and-rescue operation…”
The workers evacuated the platform, getting into two lifeboats, which were then lowered to 10 meters above the water, the statement said.
The Oxu.az news website published photos of people placing carnations along the coast today, three days after a reported gas leak caused the fire. The platform is understood to have been battered by high winds and waves of more than eight metres at the time. “We regard those whom we have not found so far as missing”, said Khoshbakht Usifzade, SOCAR Vice President during a news conference.
The bulk of Azerbaijan’s oil is produced elsewhere, however, including on fields operated by British oil major BP BP.L .
Crude from the Azeri sector of the Caspian is exported to global oil markets via a pipeline to the Black Sea and a second line to Turkey’s Mediterranean oil port of Ceyhan.
The discovery raised the confirmed death toll to seven while another 23 workers were still missing, feared dead after the fire which broke out on Friday.
The workers were still missing as of yesterday.
Azerbaijian’s state oil company SOCAR owns the facility.
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There were reports dozens of workers were still stranded on the platform.
