Oil and Gas Accidents Articles

In the wake of last week’s explosion on a Black Elk Energy oil rig in the Gulf Coast, new information is surfacing about the company’s safety record on its platforms. This explosion is the fourth notable incident and the second fire to have involved Black Elk facilities in the last two years alone. Due to…

According to a recent article on fuelfix.com, BP has agreed to pay over $4 billion to the U.S. government to resolve all criminal claims stemming from the 2010 Gulf of Mexico rig explosion and oil spill. It is by far the largest criminal penalty in American history. Additionally, at least three BP workers were expected…

A fire on an oil rig off the coast of Louisiana in the Gulf of Mexico has caused two deaths and led to the disappearance of two other rig workers. In addition, 11 workers were treated for injuries. Some are still hospitalized in critical condition. According to KHOU News in Houston, the oil and gas…

Early Friday morning, an explosion and fire ripped through an offshore energy platform in the Gulf of Mexico owned by Houston-based Black Elk Energy LLC. Initial reports suggested that the explosion occurred when maintenance workers were using a torch to cut into a pipe with 28 gallons of oil inside. United States Coast Guard Captain…

Dozens of homes were damaged or destroyed in Indianapolis on Saturday, November 10, 2012. Two homes were leveled in the blast that killed two people, but has rendered homes for blocks uninhabitable. While it is not clear what caused the explosion that rocked the neighborhood at 11 PM on Saturday, these types of explosions are…

A few weeks ago we blogged about how Texas landowners basically have no choice when the huge oil and gas companies come to seize their property to install pipelines. The saga in this tale continues to be battled in Texas courthouses – and is likely to be picked up by state lawmakers when the legislative…

Across the nation, fatal accidents in the workplace are on the decline, but that pattern has not carried over in the state of Texas. A recent article in the Dallas News noted that workplace deaths remain “stubbornly high in Texas.” According to statistics from the Department of Labor in 2010, just over 4,500 people died…

Eminent domain has always been an issue for property owners across the country. In Texas, it is not uncommon for the government to use eminent domain to acquire private property for public use, such as railroads, bridges, highways and public utilities. But it is not common for non-government entities, such as commercial enterprises, to be…