What happened to the Al Baz drilling rig?

On 28 April 1989 the Al Baz drilling rig, owned by Santa Fe, suffered a blowout off the coast of Nigeria.

What caused the Al Baz drilling rig blowout?

Gas liberated from the blowout ignited, tragically killing crew members from the impact of intense heat and flames. The rig subsequently sank into the sea.

Investigation into the incident confirmed that the rocks and sand ignited the gas, producing flames under the cantilever deck. The intense heat melted away the cantilever and rig package, which fell from the barge, pulling the conductor pipe with it.

This breakage on the seafloor allowed a crater to develop, causing the stern legs to fall into the crate with the main barge following.

What can the industry learn from the Al Baz drilling rig blowout?

Shell offshore policies state that when shallow gas sand conditions are presented the well should have been plugged. This was not carried out correctly and many minor errors built up, resulting in the blowout that occurred.