Fire Hits Petrobras Offshore Platform in Brazil

Multiple injuries have been reported as a fire engulfed one of the offshore platforms owned by Brazil’s state-run oil company, Petrobras. The platform, part of a pending sale to Perenco, was the site of the incident which took four hours to bring under control, as reported by the workers’ union.

The fire broke out on Monday morning, April 21, on the platform PCH-1 in the Cherne field in the Campos basin, located approximately 80 miles offshore. The workers’ union, Sindipetro-NF, indicated that the fire likely started around 07:20, possibly due to an explosion on one of the production decks below the housing area where workers’ cabins and food facilities are situated. Heavy smoke and flames were reported, with the union stating that it took until 11:25 to extinguish the fire.

At the time of the incident, there were 176 workers on board the platform, with tankers waiting nearby for gas loading operations. Reports from Sindipetro-NF suggest that one worker sustained burns and fell from the platform, being rescued by the Locar XXII vessel. The injured worker, conscious but suffering from burns, was treated on an offshore support vessel before being transferred to a hospital. Petrobras later confirmed this account and listed 13 additional workers as injured.

However, Sindipetro-NF reported on Monday night that a total of 32 oil workers had been identified as injured, with 14 suffering from burns and the rest from smoke inhalation. Non-essential personnel were evacuated from the platform in the afternoon following the incident.

The platform in question is one of Petrobras’ older facilities, with oil and gas production halted in 2020 due to its classification as a mature and non-profitable asset. Despite this, the platform has continued to operate in a relay capacity to transfer gas from other assets in the basin to tankers.

In 2024, Perenco announced an agreement to acquire assets from Petrobras in the Cherne and Bagre fields, including the deactivated platforms PCH-1 and PCH-2. The company plans to finalize the deal in 2025 and embark on a redevelopment project to rejuvenate the assets, resume oil production, and tap into gas reserves.

Petrobras has committed to launching a commission to investigate the cause of the fire, as efforts continue to ensure the safety and well-being of workers in the offshore industry.