Sunday, 26 May 2013
Chevron Workers Left To Die On Platform, Survivors Say
By SaharaReporters, New York
Newly obtained testimonies from Chevron workers paint a sharply different picture of the days leading up to the deadly Jan. 16, 2012 blowout at a drilling rig that took two lives.
According to the U.S. oil company, there were no requests to evacuate the KS Endeavor rig and that staff on board did not call a halt to work although they were entitled to.
But new accounts from four of the platform workers describes workers pleading to be evacuated as smoke billowed for a borehole. The subsequent explosion engulfed the rig in flames, causing the two deaths.
The new information was shared with an investigative reporter from Reuters by Britain’s Rail, Maritime and Transport trade union, or RMT. The union claims the documents - transcripts of accounts from three workers – are genuine but that names of witnesses have been withheld to protect their employment prospects.
The accounts were backed up by subsequent interviews in Nigeria with a worker who was also on the rig.
Field Offshore Design Engineering, or FODE, which hired the subcontractor KS Drilling, declined to comment, citing confidentiality clauses in its contract with KS Drilling preventing them from making public any information about work for Chevron.
The fire that followed the blast burned on the rig for 46 days until March 2. Chevron drilled a relief well to stem the gas leak, sealing it on June 18. In an email to Reuters on July 2, Chevron said that an investigation with the Nigerian authorities concluded that an entry of high pressure gas in the wellbore had caused the failure of equipment and fire.
The newly-released accounts convey rising panic from some of those on the platform, who fearing a blowout, checked each morning the volume of smoke billowing from the drilling borehole.
"Chevron knew for over a week that the well was unstable yet they refused to evacuate us," said one of the rig workers who gave his account to the RMT union.
A Nigerian worker who was aboard the rig at the time of the blast said many wanted to be evacuated.
"At almost every point in time, we saw thick smoke coming out of the open hole, and we were all scared like hell because we could see a disaster happening any moment yet they (Chevron) did not evacuate us -- why, I do not know," the witness said.
"This is the reason so many of us survived because we were all aware that it was going to happen, but just didn't know when," he said.
The faulty Funiwa 1A well has since sealed by the San Ramon-based Chevron but a fine of $3 billion for environmental damages against the company is still pending.
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CHEVRON FIRE
Submitted by iyke (not verified) on July 12, 2012 - 14:41.
What a load of poppycock! Thick smoke coming out from a well for over a week? Does the writer think a well behaves like charcoal being stoked into flames? Believe me no pressure kick and subsequent blow out will wait a week to kill you. It happens in a matter of minutes. As soon as the first sign of danger is noticed, ALL WORK STOPS. I repeat ALL WORK STOPS. Drilling is not frying akara. Tell the writer to get his facts right next time before publishing utter rubbish. He should at least give us some credit. Some of us actually do work on rigs.
Why would you believe??? Fool
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on July 12, 2012 - 13:04.
I do not see any reason why you should believe the story. You would have believed if you had not joined Chevron. A typical useless Nigerian You are. speaking from another side of your mouth. You are now eating, while the community livelihood is destroyed. Nemesis will for sure catch up with all of you. Go and sleep and wait for your day.
PROBE THE BLOW-OUT
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on July 12, 2012 - 12:52.
I hereby nominate Farouk and Hembe to probe the incident and report back to Nigeria House of Representatives for a resolution.
FEEDBACK TO CHEVRON SUPPORTERS
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on July 12, 2012 - 12:43.
YOU GUYS NEED TO IDENTIFY THE SPECIFIC ASPECT OF THE ARTICLE THAT IS FLAWED AND MAKE THE CORRECTION. IN SHORT, IT SHOULD BE THOSE THAT WERE PRESENT AT THE SCENE OF INCIDENT . THIS WILL ASSIST THE PUBLIC IN UNDERSTANDING THE INCIDENT ITSELF. YES, INFORMATION COULD BE MISCONSTRUED BY THE PRESS, BUT IT IS YOUR DUTY AS A FAITHFUL EMPLOYEE TO SUPPORT YOUR ARGUMENT INTELLECTUALLY, RATHER THAN GIVING GENERAL INFORMATION .
THIS IS A COOKED UP LIEs
Submitted by YAKSAY (not verified) on July 12, 2012 - 11:24.
Do not just sit down somewhere and be expecting unadulterated information from someone who is seeking selfish ambition. Chevron remain committed to safety and will never breach this. Your credibility is at stake for the this misinformation published. withdraw it and tender appology for this act.
Fabricated Lies
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on July 12, 2012 - 09:56.
It is unfortunate that Saharareporters is fast loosing credibility in its publications, this one is total lies and fabricated to taint the image of a Globally recognised Socially Responsible Company. Please take this off, Sahara it will do you no good
Hard to believe
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on July 12, 2012 - 08:25.
I had the chance to work on that project onboard KS Endeavor and its hard to believe what the people with lesser knowledge of the situation has to say. In terms of safety, the rig was standard. Safe practices are not negotiated on board, they are enforced. I dont see why they would notice an unsafe act and not respond. The people who made this report should confirm that the smoke they saw wasnt from the kitchen Chimney.
Chevron supporters shut your bloody mouths!
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on July 12, 2012 - 07:14.
Chevron supporters please just keep quiet, you come here to do PR. There is documented evidence of your evil activities here in nigeria, what you guys would not dare in developed countries..you do in nigeria. Nigerians you better wake up pretty fast and you fools working for chevron that are talking nonsense here pls jus keep collecting your pay quietly but don't come here to SR and talk nonsense. We have all sold our country off to multinationals. Useless country,stupid citizens!
This Incident Needs to be Probe
Submitted by Adebayo (not verified) on July 12, 2012 - 07:08.
I wonder where the two commentators supporting chevron above are coming from,we are talking of an incident which claimed two lives,and if it is true that you guys work on chevron's platform then it could have being any of the two of you,so pls. stop playing with serious matters.
From the article above the question is not whether Chevron has safety standard or not ,but in this particular instance there is a question of breach of safety protocol is supposed to be investigated and if found true ...the law should follow its due cause on it to forestall such other occurrence in the future.
You obviously are an idiotic
Submitted by Vic (not verified) on July 12, 2012 - 07:04.
You obviously are an idiotic dimwit
People should not take
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on July 12, 2012 - 05:06.
People should not take advantage of an accident for unnecessary sensationalism! It is simply unprofessional but coming from saharareporters I wouldn't say I expected better beacuse this is just a normal ignorant write-up from them
If you want to frame up a
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on July 12, 2012 - 05:05.
If you want to frame up a story at least compose it in an intelligent manner so that it sounds believable to people that are knowledgeable about the field. Unfortunately, a lot of Nigerians are technically illiterate and as such will believe any write-up simply because they don't know any better.
The write-up above is full of ignorance and should be consigned to the rubbish bin. The no such thing as "smoke coming from the borehole" on a rig. The signs of a well "taking a kick" (high pressure fluid loss/invasion) is seen in the mud pits and not some magical smoke in borehole. In the oil industry, every single worker has a "stop work authority" if he feels it is no longer safe to work and by this I mean that ALL work on the rig is stopped. So there's no way an unwilling worker can be on the rig when the incident happened.
one day we shall be gone from Nigeria-boko haram or no boko hara
Submitted by deri (not verified) on July 12, 2012 - 02:56.
Well this is what the SS, gets in return for allowing our oil resources to be stolen by the 9ja maharajas operating in the oil industry. The FGN takes over 87 percent of the oil revenue and leaves just 13 percent for the oil bearing states. Regardless of the damage done to the fragile ecology in the ND. As if that is not enough, the same maharajas who have been intimidating the president with impeachment and regime change, often turn out to be the main contractors in the oil prodcing states, and the oil firms. The criminal behaviour of Chevron to the oil bearing communities is well known around the globe. Workers in the catchment areas are not even hired as cleaners-and when they do, its usually on contract-while the Senate and the house relax and do nothing. Play the usual blame game of tambuwal and Farouk to the detriment of the SS. Split is the answer! Just wasting time feeding ungrateful Nigerians with our resources.
Fallacy; One-Sided;
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on July 12, 2012 - 00:24.
Where is the validity of this baseless write-up? Apparently, the author did not make any attempt whatsoever to hear the other side of the story from Chevron. This is not a good example of balanced-journalism; it is simply unprofessional. What a watery piece! I believe the track-records of enviable corporate resposibility and excellent operational discipline stand Chevron out not only in Nigeria...but globally.
Only $3 billion for environmental damages?
Submitted by FiReCloUd OfGoD (not verified) on July 11, 2012 - 22:47.
"The faulty Funiwa 1A well has since sealed by the San Ramon-based Chevron but a fine of $3 billion for environmental damages against the company is still pending."
Me think it should be $300 Billion, considering damages they have wrought in other parts of Niger Delta and Nigeria as a whole!
Our corruption infested leadership is to blame. Just like 'blood money' pay out in Saudi Arabia. They pay least to the black man, then Indian, then followed by Saudi. White man's family gets the highest pay if their member is murdered!
Who cares about these negroid jungles?
Compare BP fine over the gulf of Mexico oil spill to this $3 billion chicken feed. This is only an iceberg in relation to those that have been covered up. BP has put aside about $41bn for the total bill for the disaster!
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/energy/oilandgas/9024839...
I don't like it when people
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on July 11, 2012 - 22:01.
I don't like it when people look for cheap publicity. Chevron does not at any point since I joined them ever comprised safety, safety first is the slogan, I don't belive the story
Shell carry go
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on July 11, 2012 - 21:54.
Shell carry go. Wak our oil, destroy niger delta, pollute their water and when oil finishes find ur way. Nig deltans are armed robbers, kidnapers, killers and oil bunkers
