A fire is recorded near the PEMEX Ku-Charly platform in Campeche

A fire in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico 400 meters from the Ku-Charly platform which belongs to the integral production asset Ku Maloob Zaap of Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex), located in the seas of the state of Campeche.

Until, the fire remains uncontrollable, The start of the incident was reported from 4 a.m. on Friday, July 2. The fire started because a valve burst in the underwater line, which caused the oil to sink from the bottom of the evil and when it merged with oxygen, fire was generated at the surface.

According to the authorities, the incident is fought by three boats to avoid direct risks to the platform. It has also been reported that expert accident control divers will descend to repair and close the valves located at a depth of 78 meters. During this time, no injuries were reported; however, Pemex did not offer any positioning about it on the fact.

The Regional Center for Attention to Emergencies (CRAE) of Petróleos Mexicanos activated the emergency plan to determine the risk posed by the incident and to control the fire. In addition, They check what were the causes that generated the fire. The ships Isla Arboledas and Arbol Grande, among others, are carrying out work to extinguish the flames using water curtains.

According to the agency Reuters the fire has already been brought under control, thanks to the fact that “the Pemex team used nitrogen to control the pipeline fire, using to transport oil and gas. A ship that arrived later in the morning was attempting to close a valve in the pipeline. ”

Integral production assets Ku Maloob Zapp It is the largest oil production field in Mexican territory, produced per day about 95,000 barrels and is located 150 kilometers from Ciudad del Carmen, Campeche.

Fire in the Ixtoc-I well

the On June 2, 1979, the largest oil spill was recorded in a Mexican sea. The disaster was due to drilling to a depth of 3,627 meters from the pozo Ixtoc-I, 94 kilometers northeast of Ciudad del Carmen; a failure in the circulation of the accumulated fluid of oil and gas in the pipeline, which produced an explosion when the gas emanating from the basement came into contact with the pump motors.

The accident caused the collapse of the oil rig, produced a large spill and a fire that lasted 280 days, during which dumped an approximate volume of 560 million liters of crude, according to information from the Government of Mexico.

“To deal with the emergency, PEMEX hired divers to close the well, but there was no success; floating containment barrels (container barriers) were used, 200 ships, 12 planes and 500 men are mobilized; planes were also used to spray chemical dispersant on the oil spilled over 2,800 square kilometers, ”the National Center for Disaster Reduction said.

Natural disasters at sea, especially those oil spills, have serious effects on the environment because they cause the death of biodiversity, serious damage to mangroves, soil and water contamination, considerably affecting the ecological balance.

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