An accident onboard the drillship Pacific Santa Ana has left one worker dead. The news was confirmed by the US Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE), operator Chevron, and the drillship's owner, Pacific Drilling.
The Pacific Santa Ana drillship has been under a five-year contract with Chevron in the Gulf of Mexico since 2012.
Chevron confirmed that a contractor, an employee of Pacific Drilling, was fatally injured onboard the drillship around 10 am (CST) on 20 October. The drillship was some 200mi south of Lake Charles, Louisiana, operating in 4800ft of water, on the Chevron-operated Keathley Canyon Block 96.
Chevron said that drilling operations have since been shut down, and that no other injuries were reported. BSEE said that personnel remain on the drillship and that no pollution has been reported.
"Our prayers and thoughts are with the family of our colleague and our Pacific Drilling family closely associated with him," Pacific Drilling said in an emailed statement about the incident.
Inspectors from both BSEE and the US Coast Guard will travel to the Pacific Santa Ana, owned by Pacific Drilling, to begin collecting evidence and take statements.
Chevron holds 36% working interest in the block, with co-owners BP (34%), and ConocoPhillips (30%).
The Pacific Santa Ana began its contract with Chevron in 2012. The ship was purpose-built for dual gradient drilling operations and has three separate fluid systems, one for handling drilling mud, another for the seawater-like fluid in the marine riser, and another for the seawater powering the pump. The moon pool was redesigned for handling the 450,000lb MaxLift pump in addition to the usual subsea equipment.
The ship was to use its dual gradient drilling functions for Chevron's Anchor-1 prospect last year in Green Canyon block 807, but the well was junked due to mechanical failures. However, in January of this year, Chevron hit high quality oil pay in multiple Lower Tertiary Wilcox Sands at a second Anchor well also drilled by the Pacific Santa Ana.
Image: Pacific Santa Ana/Pacific Drilling
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