A fire broke out around 8 a.m. Wednesday at Spinnaker Exploration Co.’s High Island Block 47 “A” platform facility offshore during a routine maintenance operation. Damage was limited to an area immediately adjacent to and including the natural gas metering shack. Company personnel have re-boarded the facility to assess the extent of the damage and investigate the fire’s cause, the company said.

The producing well, located about 18 miles south of Sabine Pass, TX, was shut in immediately following the incident. The shut-in “could [last for] a month or a little bit longer,” said Jason Ervin, a spokesman for the Houston-based offshore producer.

He declined to give the production rate of the platform for “competitive” reasons, but he estimated that as much as 95%-98% of the production was natural gas. The platform, which was placed into operation in February, is one of 40 wells that Spinnaker has in the Gulf of Mexico, Ervin said.

In a statement, the producer said that as result of the incident, “there were two non-life threatening injuries sustained by contract operating personnel, and they are receiving medical attention and are expected to be released from the hospital shortly. Two other contract personnel were on the platform at the time of the incident and were evacuated unharmed from the production facility.”

Spinnaker said that damage to the structure did not appear to be significant, although a more complete assessment was underway.

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