As reported by EnergyReview.net earlier, the GlobalSantaFe rig caught fire during drilling operations while it was near the platform and sank despite efforts to put out the fires. A natural gas blowout has been blamed for the incident.

Correspondents from AFP reported seeing six teams of firefighters backed by helicopters trying to put out the fire on the production facility. An industry source speaking to the news service said, “It will take five days to extinguish the flames.” An Egyptian official, speaking under condition of anonymity, said equipment damage was “considerable”.

Temseh is one of Egypt’s largest gas deposits and produces between 150-180 million cubic feet of gas per day. There were no fatalities as all 150 workers on the platform were evacuated safely. Temseh is run by Petrobel, which is co-owned by Eni SpA, BP Plc and Egypt’s General Petroleum Corp.