CNN.com - World's largest oil rig sinks

Publish date: 2024-06-21

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil -- The world's largest offshore oil platform sank in just a few minutes Tuesday, five days after powerful blasts rocked the rig and killed 10 people, Brazil's state oil giant Petrobras said.

A Petrobras spokeswoman said she did not have any information on whether there had been an oil spill, but the company has ships standing by which it says could contain any oil slick.

The 40-storey-tall rig, 75 miles (120 kilometers) off the Brazilian coast, was ravaged last Thursday by explosions and fire that killed at least two workers. Eight others were still missing and presumed dead.

Petrobras flew in experts and equipment from around the world to try to keep the rig afloat.

The explosion knocked out a supporting pillar, and the platform tilted and sank slowly into the sea off the coast of Macae, 120 miles (195 kilometers) northeast of Rio. Over the weekend, a team of navy divers, engineers and foreign consultants injected nitrogen into flooded compartments, partly righting it, Petrobras said.

But high winds and rough seas hindered efforts on Monday. Petrobras said the platform "shifted suddenly" early Tuesday morning, and workers gave up trying to save it.

There are fears that up to 395,000 gallons (1.5 million litres) of crude and diesel in underwater pipelines and onboard tanks could spill into the ocean.

Petrobras Chief Executive Henri Philippe Reichstul said the oil and gas wells were sealed before the rig was evacuated, but the danger was that the oil still aboard could spill.

The area where the platform sank has been described by environmentalists as "teeming" with wildlife.

Reuters contributed to this report.

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CNN.com - World's largest oil rig sinks