The U.S. Coast Guard and the National Transportation and Safety Board are conducting an investigation into how a tugboat hauling two barges struck an underwater natural gas line belonging to Gulfport Energy Inc. in West Cote Blanche Bay, LA. The incident on Thursday triggered an explosion that killed at least four people and left two other people missing and feared dead. One barge was carrying chemically treated lumber; the other was hauling a mechanical crane and fuel.

When the tugboat and barges struck the gas line, around noon on Thursday, each was immediately engulfed in flames, according to officials. The tugboat and the barge carrying lumber detached and continued to burn as they drifted away. The other barge remained over the gas line and burned for several hours before it was contained. Officials said the missing people may have been on the barge that burned over the gas line.

The tugboat belonged to Central Boat Rentals Inc. of Berwick, LA, and the two barges belonged to Athena Construction of Morgan City, LA. Together they were carrying a tugboat driver, a crane operator and six crew hands.

Oklahoma City-based Gulfport issued a statement stating all of its employees had been accounted for. As a precaution, the company shut-in all gas production from the offshore field, however, no damage had been reported to its production facilities. As of June 30, Gulfport was producing 192 MMcf/d from its West Cote field.

Gulfport spokesman John Kilgallon said the company did not know how long the field would remain shut. Gulfport had not inspected the site on Friday and did not know if the pipeline that ruptured was one of its assets or if it belonged to another company.

Gulfport’s West Cote field lies about five miles off the coast of Louisiana, primarily in St. Mary Parish, in a shallow bay, with water depths averaging eight to 10 feet. The field lies over one of the largest salt dome structures on the Gulf Coast, according to Gulfport. There have been 871 wells drilled in West Cote, and of these, 48 were producing, 303 were shut-in, and five had been converted to salt water disposal wells.

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