The fire at the Guneshli field in Azerbaijan’s section of the western Caspian Sea started Friday and was caused by a gas leak following a storm, the Baku-based company said on Saturday. The damage led to a fire which continued to rage on Saturday, with efforts to put it out or rescue the platform workers hampered by poor weather conditions. Rescue attempts were further complicated by a severe storm, SOCAR said.
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He said that a search-and-rescue operation was underway.
The independent Oil Workers’ Rights Protection Committee in Azerbaijan told reporters the death toll, according to information they had received. It was not clear whether his statement was now out of date. Officials say 42 workers have been rescued.
In addition, one oil worker contacted a Reuters correspondent from the platform and said 84 people were trapped aboard.
The workers were still missing today.
“The number of survivors was 26”, SOCAR said on Twitter.
Azerbaijan, which borders Russian Federation and Iran, has become a major regional player in oil and gas, helping to deliver energy to the West via Turkey and bypassing Russian Federation.
Around 60% of SOCAR’s oil production passes through the platform where the fire broke out.
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Fourteen workers were killed in accidents on SOCAR’s oil and gas platforms in 2014.
