Gas rig blowout prompts evacuation in Louisiana

A natural gas well being drilled went out of control in the U.S. state of Louisiana Thursday, prompting dozens of workers to evacuate, local media reported. Workers were drilling from the jack-up rig, located about 170 km southwest of Louisiana' s southern hub of Lafayette, when the well began to flow natural gas, local TV KATC reported. The rig, about 80 meters deep in water, is operated by EnVen Energy Ventures of Metairie. The company said 41 workers were evacuated immediately, and an additional 36 remain onboard. No injuries were reported. The flow was diverted overboard, and crew members are working to shut the well. No visible sheen has been sighted and no pollution has reached the Gulf of Mexico, according to the report. A platform that was producing oil and gas near the EnVen rig was shut down as a precaution. The federal Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement is investigating the incident.