2 Workers Missing After Chevron Rig Catches Fire Off Nigerian Coast

Chevron Corp. officials said 2 workers were missing after a rig off Nigeria’s coast caught fire Monday.

The company said that 152 workers had been found, but officials were still accounting for all those working on the offshore rig, which was exploring possible deep-water oil and gas fields.

The cause of the fire was still under investigation, Chevron officials said. The blaze happened near its North Apoi oil platform, which shut down due to the fire. The head of an environmental watchdog group in Nigeria said locals reported the fire as an industrial incident.

“Workers were trying to contain the gas pressure and they didn’t succeed,” Nnimmo Bassey said.

Contractor Fode Drilling Co., operates the rig on Chevron’s behalf, couldn’t be reached for comment Monday.

Nigeria ranks fifth in crude oil exports to the United States. The country produces about 2.4 million barrels of crude oil daily.

The offshore injury attorneys at Schechter, Shaffer & Harris, L.L.P., Accident & Injury Lawyers represent injured offshore oil rig and oil platform workers.