Safety chiefs in the Gulf of Mexico are to maintain a 500m cordon around the rig which burned for two days last week after a gas leak, despite clean-up work on board being completed.
Investigations are continuing after the Hercules 265 rig caught on fire hours after its 44 crewmembers were evacuated following a gas blowout.
Debris clear-up from the well site began last night, while clean-up work on board the rig, which partially collapsed during the fire, has now been completed.
The Bureau of Safety and Environmental enforcement said gas detectors and high-capacity water jet fire monitors had been installed on the rig.
The Rowan EXL-3 jack-up rig is due to start pipe driving on the site as preparation for a well to provide relief for the gas well which originally blew out.
“Once pipe driving is complete, the relief well will be spud and drilling is expected to continue for approximately 35 days,” a BSEE spokesman said.
No gas sheen is visible on the site, but the coastguard is to maintain a 500m safety zone around the rig while firefighting and other rescue vehicles remain on site.
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