Just over 4 months since the Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion that killed several workers, and tainted the Gulf of Mexico with millions of barrels of oil, another explosion on a Gulf of Mexico oil Rig has occurred. This time on the Vermilion 380 oil rig, which is owned by Mariner Energy, and headquartered in Houston Texas. Coast guard crews rescued 13 workers who jumped into the water after the rig exploded at approximately 10:30 AM. One worker was transferred to Terrebone General Medical Center with injuries.

The Vermilion 380 oil rig is situated in waters approximately 340 feet deep. This is a far cry from the Deepwater Horizon rig that exploded in April which was close to a mile in depth.

Mariner Energy has a rather clean record when it comes to safety. Last year they were fined on two separate occasions for relatively minor offenses totaling $55,000. This explosion just shows how dangerous these rigs really are. The Coast Guard is checking for leaks, however officials have said that this rig was not producing oil at the time.