Search suspended worker missing after oil rig blast

KENNER, La. — Authorities have suspended the search Monday for a Texas man who disappeared when an oil and gas platform exploded on a lake near New Orleans. Seven people were injured in the Sunday night blast and fire, including three who were in critical condition, authorities said.

The explosion happened on an oil and gas transfer facility in Lake Pontchartrain. The platform was on waters just north of the suburban city of Kenner in Jefferson Parish. The parish sheriff, Joe Lopinto, identified the missing man as Timothy Morrison, 44, of Katy, Texas, a subcontractor on the structure.

“The decision to suspend a search is never an easy one,” said Cmdr. Zac Ford. “We send our thoughts and prayers to the Morrison family and all those affected by this incident.”

The Coast Guard reported that a fire aboard the platform was out by midday and that aerial surveys showed no signs of pollution in the water or onshore. A Coast Guard helicopter, a Jefferson Parish helicopter, Coast Guard vessels and boats from local agencies, continued looking for Morrison.

Lopinto told reporters searching the platform itself was difficult.

“There is a lot of structural damage to the rig. We have a lot of metal, twisted metal that is covering certain areas and we’re going to have to go back out there with different equipment when the weather permits,” Lopinto said.

High winds made boarding the damaged structure difficult, he said.

The Clovelly Oil Co. platform exploded while maintenance was being done on the structure, sending a fireball high into the night sky, officials said.