Gulf oil rig fire 'extinguished' - Coast Guard

Initial reports suggested that an oil sheen a mile long and 100 feet wide had begun to spread from the site of the blast, about 200 miles west of the site of BP’s oil spill.

“The fire is out, and Coast Guard helicopters and vessels on scene have no reports of a visible sheen in the water. There is no report of an evidence of leaks,” Coast Guard official Peter Troedsson said at a news conference in New Orleans.

Houston-based Mariner Energy, the platform’s owner, said that it did not know what caused the explosion.

Marine officials said that there were seven active production wells on the platform, and they were shut down shortly before the fire broke out.

Officials do not know yet what sparked the flames, as the company reported that the fire began in 100 barrels of light oil condensate.