New Orleans, LA (Off Coast) Oil Rig Accident, July 1978

2 KILLED ON OIL RIG IN GULF.

New Orleans (AP) -- A hydraulic clutch on a winch assembly exploded at a Gulf of Mexico drilling platform Monday, killing two workers and injuring another critically.
Dan Bourgeois, assistant field operations supervisor for the U.S. Geological Survey office here, said several other persons were injured less seriously.
There was no fire and no gas escaped, the survey said.
The dead men were identified only as a driller and a "roughneck," both employees of Pool Co., the drilling contractor.
"They were going back into the hole with drillpipe when the hydraulic clutch on the draw works (a winch assembly) exploded," said Bourgeois.
The driller was killed by the explosion, and "when
the draw works gave way, the traveling block fell and killed on of the roughnecks. The thing just came right down and he probably didn't have time to get out of the way."
The survey said that a helicopter on the platform was damaged by metal fragments from the explosion but that no one was inside the craft.
The platform, located about 120 miles southeast of Cameron, is operated by Aminoil U.S.A. Inc.

The Advocate Victoria Texas 1978-07-25
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Researched and Transcribed by Stu Beitler. Thank you, Stu!