SOCAR named reason of accident

SOCAR jointly with the Ministry of Emergency Situation continues searching for the missing oilmen, said SOCAR Senior Vice President Khoshbakht Yusifzada at a press conference on Sunday.

He said SOCAR has concentrated its efforts to find people and extinguish the fire. There were 63 people on the platform at the moment of the accident. 29 people are missing.

SOCAR Vice President believes that the reason of the accident was a strong wind with the speed between 38 and 40 m/s, during which height of the waves reached 8-10 meters. The high pressure gas pipeline (110 atmospheres), which is used to inject technical gas into the oil wells, was unable to withstand the waves, it was damaged and caused fire. The fire spread to the oil wells. The power supply to the platform has been suspended.

According to the safety regulations, the oilmen had to use a life boat. 26 ones were in one boat and 34 ones in another one. Three oilmen stayed on the safe part of the platform. However, because of the high waves the life boats were not lowered into the sea.

“Because of the storm, the rescuers could not approach the platform. On December 4 at 10.45 p.m. the rope supporting one boat has gotten torn and it fell into the sea. The boat has broken when hit the pile. The oilmen have fallen into the sea. They were wearing life vests, but only three of them survived. One drowned oilmen was pulled out by the rescuers later. 26 oilmen from another boat were safe and were taken to the hospital,” Yusifzada said.

He said the main goal now is to find the missing oilmen and extinguish the fire. “We use the helicopters and vessels for that. The works are going on,” Yusifzada said.

* Guneshli 10 platform was put into operation in 1984. It serviced 28 wells – 24 oil and 4 gas ones. The platform produces 1 million cub.m. of gas and 920 tons of oil a day.—0—