The U.S. Coast Guard is investigating the tragic deaths of two crewmembers aboard Royal Dutch Shell’s Auger tension leg platform earlier this summer in the Gulf of Mexico.
Workers Were Testing Shell Augur Platform’s Lifeboat Recovery System
According to media reports, the men were apparently part of a crew testing the platform’s lifeboat recovery system early on the morning of June 30th. Something went wrong during the exercise, resulting in their deaths.
One of the deceased was a Shell employee, while the other was a contractor with the Louisiana-based Danos oilfield services firm.
A second Shell employee suffered non-life-threatening injuries during the incident.
Coast Guard Announced Formal Investigation Last Month
The Shell Augur tension leg platform is located in the Cardamom field, about 210 miles southwest of New Orleans, Louisiana. The offshore facility began operations in 2014 and currently has a production capacity of 50,00 barrels per day.
Rear Adm. John Nadeau, commander of the Eighth Coast Guard District in New Orleans, announced a formal investigation into the Shell Augur platform deaths late last month.
“The Coast Guard is committed to finding the facts that led to this tragedy,” Nadeau said. “Our intent is to ensure the safety and security of the personnel who work on these facilities and to reduce the likelihood that any similar incidents could occur in the future.”
4 Offshore Workers Have Died in Gulf of Mexico This Summer
The Shell Augur platform accident was the third fatal offshore drilling incident to occur in the Gulf of Mexico so far this summer.
On May 29th, a nighttime production engineer was reported missing aboard Renaissance Offshore’s Eugene Island 331 platform, located roughly 75 miles off the coast of Vermillion, Louisiana. Authorities believe the man fell into the sea through a whole on the wayback deck. His remains have not been recovered, but he is presumed dead.
Then on June 1st, an offshore worker fell through an open hole on Chevron’s Green Canyon Block 205, Platform “A”, located about 150 miles from New Orleans. Although the deceased worker did not fall into the water, he suffered fatal injuries and died hours later.
The U.S. Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) issued a safety alert to offshore operators just days later and announced the formation of separate panels to investigate those incidents.
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