Mexican state-owned oil company Pemex deployed firefighting vessels after a blaze ignited at one of its offshore installations in the Bay of Campeche on Monday, October 19.
The company said the fire was recorded at 11:15 local time at the unmanned Abkatun-H satellite platform, located 73 kilometres from Ciudad del Carmen in Campeche state. Safety protocols were activated immediately.
Pemex reported no injuries in its initial statement. The company's regional emergency response and management group remained in session for the duration of the emergency.
A later update that afternoon said response work was continuing in accordance with established safety protocols. On Monday evening, Pemex announced that the incident had been dealt with and that company personnel will remain in the area for supervision work.
The company added that its root cause investigation will continue in order to determine the origin of the incident.
Workers on nearby platforms circulated images and video on social media showing flames on the installation.
Abkatun-H forms part of the Abkatun-Pol-Chuc production asset. The platform collects production from wells and redirects it via pipelines to the complex's processing facilities.
The fire came weeks after a separate offshore pipeline leak was detected off Campeche on September 10.
In April, Pemex and the Mexican Government acknowledged that an oil spill affecting the Gulf of Mexico in February originated from a pipeline leak near the Abkatun field. Pemex subsequently pledged to overhaul its notification protocols and strengthen its spill response.
