ANGOLA – Chevron Platform Fire Injures 17 Workers
Seventeen workers were injured—four seriously—after a fire broke out early Tuesday on Chevron’s Benguela-Belize-Lobito-Tomboco (BBLT) offshore oil platform near Angola. The fire ignited around 3:10 AM on the platform’s cellar deck, according to Chevron, which confirmed that onsite personnel quickly responded and brought the blaze under control.
At the time of the incident, the BBLT facility was shut down for scheduled annual maintenance. It had been offline since May 1 for repairs.
Located approximately 50 nautical miles from the coast of Cabinda, the BBLT platform is a deepwater, bottom-fixed compliant tower. Its distinctive design features a 1,200-foot flexible jacket, allowing the structure to sway with wave motion for increased stability—similar to platforms like Chevron’s Petronius and Exxon’s Lena.
The platform has a maximum production capacity of 220,000 barrels of oil per day. It is currently unclear how the fire might impact plans to resume operations.
Chevron’s Angolan subsidiary, Cabinda Gulf Oil Company (Cabgoc), stated that its primary concern remains the safety of personnel. An investigation into the incident is underway, in collaboration with Angola’s national oil regulator, the ANPG.
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