rig explosion
Offshore drilling catastrophe
A rig explosion is a catastrophic blast occurring on an industrial platform, most commonly an offshore oil or gas drilling rig.
These explosions typically result from blowouts—uncontrolled releases of oil or gas that ignite: The rig explosion killed eleven workers and caused a massive oil spill.
The term evokes both the immediate human tragedy and environmental disaster that often follows.
- blowoutSudden tire failure
- offshoreAway from land
- drillingHole-making by rotation
- platformRaised flat structure
- oilSlippery viscous fluid
crude oil · fire · blast · derrick · deepwater · Deepwater Horizon · inferno · wellhead · safety valve · flames · debris · evacuation · search and rescue · escape pod · BP · Gulf of Mexico · gulf · disaster