Submarine Pipeline Leak Causes Large Fire in the Gulf of Mexico

One of the Largest Platforms of Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex) Had a Submarine Pipeline Leak That Caused an Explosion and Fire of 150 Meters in the Gulf of Mexico

A gas leak in the submarine pipeline of Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex) at a depth of nearly 80 meters caused, in the early hours of this Friday (02), an explosion and a fire 150 meters from the Ku Sierra platform in the Gulf of Mexico.

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The Control of the Fire

According to Pemex, the fire caused by the leak in the submarine pipeline was controlled after the interconnection valves were closed, and it also claims that there were no casualties. The causes of the fire are still under investigation.

According to the incident report, the machinery at the Ku Maloob Zaap production facilities was affected by heavy rain and an electrical storm. The company sent fire control boats to the Gulf of Mexico, which pumped additional water to control the situation. Despite rumors, the causes of the leak in the submarine pipeline remain unknown.

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No Risk of Oil Being Released Into the Sea

According to Angel Carrizales, head of the oil safety regulatory agency in Mexico, the incident with the leak from the platform’s pipeline in the Gulf of Mexico did not cause any oil spill in the sea; however, he did not explain what was burning on the water’s surface.

According to information, this platform of Petróleos Mexicanos, known as Ku Maloob Zap, mentioned earlier, is one of the most important for the company and is responsible for over 40% of the more than 1.5 million barrels produced daily. Despite this, KMZ, which experienced the submarine pipeline leak, has seen a production decline since 2019, dropping from 770,000 barrels to 640,000 in 2020, which further contributed to the decline due to the pandemic of the new coronavirus.

The Gulf of Mexico

Known as the Mediterranean of the Americas, the Gulf of Mexico is a large ocean basin or body of water surrounded by land. It is located between North America and Central America, bordering the United States in the states of Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas, and also Mexico in the states of Tamaulipas, Tabasco, Veracruz, Lucatã, Campeche, and the island of Cuba.

The Gulf covers an area of approximately 1.5 million km² and has a volume of approximately 2,400 million km³ and is mainly composed of waters from the Atlantic Ocean.