BW Offshore confirmed five crew members had been killed, two remained in critical condition and four were still missing after an explosion onboard the Cidade de São Mateus FPSO.
Search and rescue operations continued overnight for the missing crew in the wake of the explosion which occured yesterday afternoon.
The FPSO, which is operated by BW Offshore on behalf of Brazil’s Petroleo Brasileiro SA (Petrobras), was producing from postsalt Camarupim and North Camarupim fields about 120km offshore Brazil when the incident unfolded.
BW Offshore chief executive Carl Arnet vowed to continue searching for the remaining four crew members.
He said: “This is a tragic day, and our primary focus now is on the crew and their families. We cannot rest until the last four of our men are found. We express our gratitude to Petrobras and the Brazillian authorities for the tireless efforts in this time and wish to thank our peers and partners for their support.”
A total of 74 people were onboard the FPSO, which has been in operation since 2009. The surviving crew members have since been evacuated, production has been stopped and the unit shut down.
Petrobras confirmed it had notified the Navy and the National Agency of Petroleum Natural Gas and Biofuels following the explosion.
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