Fire on Brazil’s Petrobras Offshore Platform Injures Workers

A fire on an offshore platform owned by Brazil’s Petrobras, which is in the process of being sold to Perenco, has resulted in multiple injuries. The workers’ union reported the fire, which took four hours to control and was later confirmed by Petrobras. The incident occurred on the platform PCH-1 in the Cherne field in the Campos basin, approximately 80 miles offshore. The union stated that the fire likely started with an explosion on one of the production decks below the housing area.

There were 176 workers on board the platform when the fire broke out, with tankers on standby for gas loading. One worker was reported to have been burnt and fallen from the platform, but was rescued and treated for burns before being transferred to a hospital. Petrobras listed 13 additional workers as injured, but the union reported a higher number of injuries, with 14 due to burns and the rest due to smoke inhalation. All non-essential personnel were evacuated from the platform on Monday afternoon.

The platform, which had suspended oil and gas production in 2020 due to being identified as non-lucrative, was part of a pending sale to Perenco. Perenco planned to acquire assets in the Cherne and Bagre fields, including the deactivated platforms PCH-1 and PCH-2, with a redevelopment project to revitalize the assets and restart oil production. Petrobras has promised to launch a commission to investigate the cause of the fire.

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