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• 2 injured when big rig flipps onto Mustang

  May 7, 2012 6:45 AM

  KENNER, La. (AP) - Louisiana State Police say a driver and 12-year-old passenger were injured when a tractor-trailer overturned onto their Ford Mustang. The wreck closed northbound lanes of Interstate 310 from about 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. State Trooper Joe Piglia tells WWL-TV he was amazed that the... more »

• Rig manager pleads guilty to lying about tests

  April 6, 2012 10:43 AM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A Mississippi man who worked as manager on a drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico has pleaded guilty to lying about testing on a key safety device. Forty-nine-year-old Donald Hudson, of Walnut Grove, Miss., faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison following his... more »

• ASME recognizes 1st floating offshore drilling rig

  March 12, 2012 7:24 AM

  MORGAN CITY, La. (AP) - An international society of engineers is naming the nation's first floating offshore oil drilling rig a historic mechanical engineering landmark. ASME will hold the ceremony on Saturday at the rig Mr. Charlie in Morgan City, where it is now a museum and training facility. Mr.... more »

• Weekly US Oil, Gas Rig Count Down 11 to 1,997

  February 4, 2012 2:01 PM

  The number of rigs actively exploring for oil and natural gas in the U.S. is down 11 this week to 1,997. The Houston-based oilfield services company Baker Hughes reported Friday that 1,245 rigs were exploring for oil and 745 for natural gas. Seven were listed as miscellaneous. Among the major... more »

• US Rig Count Rises by 7 to 1,854; Texas Adds 8

  June 4, 2011 11:09 AM

  HOUSTON (AP) - The number of rigs actively exploring for oil and natural gas in the U.S. rose by seven this week to 1,854 from a week ago. Baker Hughes Inc., based in Houston, reported Friday that 959 rigs were exploring for oil and 887 for natural gas. Eight were... more »

• Workers to Be Honored for Rescues After Rig Blast

  April 15, 2011 6:01 AM

  BELLE CHASSE, La. (AP) - Crew members of a supply vessel that was tethered to the Deepwater Horizon when the rig exploded last year are set to be honored at a Coast Guard awards ceremony for helping rescue blast survivors. About a dozen crew members from the Damon B. Bankston... more »

• Kin of Gulf Rig Worker Killed Settles Legal Claims

  April 9, 2011 10:48 AM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - The parents of a rig worker killed in the Deepwater Horizon explosion nearly a year ago have settled their legal claims against companies involved in the Gulf of Mexico disaster. A New Orleans federal court filing Friday says the parents of M-I Swaco mud engineer Blair... more »

• New Iberia Man Dies in Rig Accident

  March 10, 2011 5:26 PM

  A New Iberia drill worker died while working in Iberville Parish. Skye Sonnier, 30, was killed while working on a barge in the Grand River Dykes area, west of Plaquimine. It took deputies and fire fighters over 6-hours to remove Sonnier's body. Deputies say the accident left Sonnier pinned... more »

• Bikers Help a Local Charity

  January 15, 2011 11:19 PM

  Bikers in Scott are helping a local charity. Saturday, the "Rig Riders Motorcycle Club" donated 75-hundred dollars to help the elderly in need. Representatives from the Lafayette Council on Aging's "Meals on Wheels" were on hand at Cajun Harley Davidson to accept the donation. more »

• Rig owner refuses to honor oil spill subpoenas

  December 29, 2010 8:11 PM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - The owner of the rig that exploded in the Gulf of Mexico is refusing to honor subpoenas from a federal board that has challenged the company's involvement in monitoring the testing of a key piece of equipment that failed to stop the oil spill disaster. Transocean... more »

• Spill panel: No evidence of saving $ over safety

  November 8, 2010 10:22 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - The BP oil rig explosion and spill wasn't about anyone purposely trading money for safety, investigators on a special presidential commission said Monday. Instead it was more about seemingly acceptable risks adding up to disaster. Investigators at the commission's hearing outlined more than a dozen decisions that... more »

• Cement Test Before Rig Explosion Should Have Raised Doubts

  October 28, 2010 2:48 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - Investigators with the president's oil spill commission have found that tests performed before the deadly blowout of a BP oil well in the Gulf of Mexico should have raised doubts about the cement used to seal the well. But the company and its cementing contractor failed to... more »

• U.S. Coast Guard -Rig Explosion Evacuation Effort

  October 4, 2010 12:01 PM

  METAIRIE, La. (AP) - A U.S. Coast Guard official says the fact that more than 100 people escaped the Gulf of Mexico rig explosion alive is a sign that the evacuation effort went fairly well. Capt. James Hanzalik, chief of incident response for the Coast Guard's 8th District, told a... more »

• Lawsuit Filed Against Rig Owner Transocean

  September 15, 2010 3:16 PM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Louisiana's attorney general is asking a federal judge to rule that the owner of the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig is liable for some of the oil that gushed out of a blown-out well on the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico. A lawsuit that Attorney General... more »

• Governor Bobby Jindal Holds Press Conference to Give Update on Mariner Platform Fire in Gulf

  September 2, 2010 4:12 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Governor Bobby Jindal held a press conference today on the Mariner Production Platform fire incident in the Gulf, following a UCG meeting with all state agencies and Coast Guard Admiral Landry and Captain Stanton who joined by phone. State officials were also briefed by senior Mariner company... more »

• 11:45 Update on Oil Platform Explosion

  September 2, 2010 12:45 PM

  NEW ORLEANS, La. (AP) - An offshore petroleum platform exploded and was burning Thursday in the Gulf of Mexico about 80 miles south of Vermilion Bay. The Coast Guard says no one was killed in the explosion, which was reported by a commercial helicopter flying over the site around 9... more »

• Rig Collides With Train Near Independence

  August 25, 2010 9:00 PM

  INDEPENDENCE, La. (AP) - Authorities are investigating the crash of a tractor-trailer rig with a freight train near the southeastern Louisiana town of Independence. Tangipahoa Parish sheriff's investigators say that after the rig left a construction plant Wednesday, the driver failed to yield at an ungoverned railroad crossing. The rig... more »

• Alarm System Was Shut Down Day of Rig Explosion

  July 23, 2010 2:06 PM

  KENNER, La. (AP) - An electronics technician aboard the ill-fated oil rig Deepwater Horizon told an investigative panel Friday that an alarm system was partially shut down on the day the rig exploded. Mike Williams said the system was turned on to monitor for fire, explosive gas and toxic gas... more »

• Costs Didn't Trump Safety, Rig Survivor Testifies

  July 23, 2010 7:21 AM

  KENNER, La. (AP) - A BP PLC well team leader on the Deepwater Horizion testified Thursday that cost-savings didn't eclipse safety in operational decisions on the ill-fated oil rig. "When it comes to safety, never," John Guide told a federal panel investigating the April 20 explosion of the BP-leased rig... more »

• Oil Rig Hearing in Recess Until Thursday

  July 20, 2010 8:31 PM

  KENNER, La. (AP) - Wednesday's hearing into the cause of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig disaster has been canceled because all four scheduled witnesses have declined to appear, a Coast Guard spokesman said. David Adler, lawyer for Transocean Ltd. subsea superintendent Bill Stringfellow and Transocean subsea supervisor Mark Hay, said... more »

• Rig Relocates From Gulf of Mexico

  July 13, 2010 1:58 PM

  Diamond Offshore Drilling has pulled another rig out of the Gulf of Mexico due to the deepwater petroleum drilling moratorium. The Houston-based company said that it has ordered the Ocean Confidence rig to the Republic of Congo. The rig departed the Gulf over the weekend. Diamond Offshore... more »

• Rig drilling relief well ahead of schedule

  June 17, 2010 11:31 AM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A rig drilling a relief well meant to stanch a gushing flow of oil into the Gulf of Mexico is ahead of schedule and could reach its target over the next three to four weeks. That's according to Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen. He said Thursday... more »

• Oil Rig Workers Forced to Job Hunt After Drill Ban

  June 17, 2010 9:18 AM

  MORGAN CITY, La. (AP) - Mr. Charlie has seen the up and downs over the years in the oil patch off Louisiana's coast, but this could be the toughest slump of all. Earlier this week, the steel rig stationed on the Atchafalaya River graduated what could be one of its... more »

• 2nd tank believed from BP's rig explosion washed ashore

  June 14, 2010 1:57 PM

  MIRAMAR BEACH, Fla. (AP) - A second storage tank believed to be from BP's Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion has washed ashore in the Florida Panhandle. The Walton County Sheriff's Office said Monday that BP was taking the tank to New Orleans where the April rig explosion is being investigated.... more »

• Piece of Oil Rig Washes up on Florida Beach

  June 12, 2010 9:58 PM

  PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. (AP) - A piece of wreckage from the deepsea rig that exploded in April has washed up on a beach in Florida about 190 miles from the site of the disaster. Bay County Sheriff Deputy Ray Maulbeck was working beach patrol Saturday morning when he came... more »

• US Rig Count Increases by 21

  June 11, 2010 3:15 PM

  HOUSTON (AP) - The number of rigs actively exploring for oil and natural gas in the U.S. increased by 21 this week to 1,527. Houston-based Baker Hughes Inc. said Friday that 954 rigs were exploring for natural gas and 561 for oil. Twelve were listed as miscellaneous. A year ago... more »

• Minor Rig Explosion South of Cocodrie

  June 11, 2010 3:00 PM

  The US Coast Guard confirms a crew boat transporting 15 passengers to a rig 15 miles south of Cocodrie, hit the rig too hard and caused a natural gas leak around 11:20 Friday morning. The leak was secured immediately. All crew members were evacuated and treated as a precaution. more »

• Obama Meets With Family Members of Those Who Lost Their Lives In Rig Explosion

  June 10, 2010 5:45 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - Family members of the 11 men killed in the Gulf oil rig explosion say they're satisfied President Barack Obama and lawmakers will help them get just compensation for their loss. Widows, parents and other relatives spoke at a news conference Thursday with senators who want to change... more »

• 2 Workers From Oil Rig Explosion Told Congress Company Cut Corners

  May 27, 2010 5:24 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - Two workers injured when an oil rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico tell Congress that the companies in charge of the doomed drilling operation cut corners and neglected maintenance in a race toward higher profits. Laborer Stephen Stone told the House Judiciary Committee Thursday that the... more »

• Emerging Oil Rig Evidence Shows Lack of Regulation

  May 13, 2010 9:44 AM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - The first firm evidence of what likely caused the disastrous Gulf of Mexico oil blowout - a devastating sequence of equipment failures - drives home a central unsettling point about America's oil industry: key safety features at tens of thousands of U.S. offshore rigs are barely regulated.... more »

• New Areas Open to Shrimping and Fishing

  May 11, 2010 9:49 AM

  BATON ROUGE, La.- The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries says most areas west of the Mississippi River are open to recreational and commercial fishing, including shrimping. It says the exceptions include part of the state's territorial sea west of the Mississippi River to Point au Fer and the beaches... more »

• Methane Bubble Triggered Explosion

  May 8, 2010 10:31 AM

  ON THE GULF OF MEXICO (AP) - The deadly blowout of an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico was triggered by a bubble of methane gas that escaped from the well and shot up the drill column, expanding quickly as it burst through several seals... more »

• So Far, Few Oiled Birds, No Turtles, Brought In

  May 7, 2010 10:34 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - When you're getting ready to rescue sea turtles from an oil spill, the shopping list includes 50 wading pools. Michele Kelley, Louisiana state marine mammal and sea turtle stranding coordinator, says they've probably ruined every child's summer in New Orleans because they bought all the kidding pools.... more »

• Crews Put Out More Than 140 Miles of Boom for Oil

  May 7, 2010 9:34 AM

  ROBERT, La. - An executive with BP PLC says the good weather in the Gulf of Mexico has been helping crews clean up the oil and that more than 140 miles of containment boom have been put out. Chief operating officer Doug Suttles said Thursday that tens of thousands of... more »

• 65 Potential Class Action Lawsuits

  May 6, 2010 10:57 AM

  MIAMI (AP) - A federal judicial panel in Washington has been asked to consolidate at least 65 potential class action lawsuits claiming economic damage from the Gulf oil spill. Shrimpers, commercial fishermen, business and resort owners, charter boat captains and even would-be vacationers have filed lawsuits from Texas... more »

• Shrimp Markets Feeling The Sting From Oil Slick

  May 4, 2010 6:35 PM

  KATC's Mike Magnoli reports on Ocean Harvest Wholesalers based in Delcambre: The business owners, like many others in the industry, feel closing the shrimp season on Tuesday at 6 PM was premature and will be too costly. more »

• 3 Workers Who Survived Oil Rig Explosion File Lawsuit

  May 4, 2010 4:30 PM

  MIAMI (AP) - Three workers who survived an explosion aboard an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico have filed a lawsuit claiming they were kept floating in lifeboats at sea for more than 10 hours. The lawsuit filed in Galveston, Texas, says the men couldn't even call home to... more »

• Obama: Leak Could Take Many Days to Stop

  May 2, 2010 6:56 PM

  VENICE, La. (AP) - No remedy in sight, President Barack Obama on Sunday warned of a "massive and potentially unprecedented environmental disaster" as a badly damaged oil well a mile deep in the Gulf of Mexico spewed a widening and deadly slick toward delicate wetlands... more »

• BP Defends Safety Record

  May 2, 2010 12:19 PM

  VENICE, La. (AP) - BP's chairman defended his company's safety record and said Sunday that "a failed piece of equipment" was to blame for a massive oil spill along the Gulf Coast, where President Barack Obama was headed for a firsthand update on the slick ... more »

• New Orleans Residents Smell Oil Odor

  April 30, 2010 11:53 AM

  The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals and the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality are reporting that residents of coastal areas of southeast Louisiana, including New Orleans, may be detecting an odor possibly resulting from the oil spill approaching the Louisiana coast. DHH... more »

• Jindal Asks for Help For Fishermen

  April 30, 2010 11:17 AM

  Today, Governor Bobby Jindal sent the following letter to U.S. Department of Commerce Secretary Gary Locke requesting the declaration of a commercial fisheries failure as well as support from the Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration for commercial and recreational fishing businesses. This declaration will provide financial assistance to... more »

• Oil To Reach Mississippi River Delta Tonight

  April 29, 2010 4:29 PM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A federal official says the leading edge of a massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is expected to reach the Mississippi River delta by Thursday night. National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration spokesman Charles Henry says as of this morning, part of the... more »

• Thursday's Oil Spill Update

  April 29, 2010 4:06 PM

  VENICE, La. (AP) - Gov. Bobby Jindal declared a state of emergency and the federal government sent in skimmers and booms Thursday as oil from a massive spill in the Gulf of Mexico oozed toward the fragile coastline. Coast Guard Rear Adm. Sally Brice-O'Hara said... more »

• Spill's Effect on Climate Bill

  April 29, 2010 1:55 PM

  Obama administration officials say the Gulf Coast oil rig spill will be considered in the expansion of offshore drilling and will become part of the debate on climate change in Congress. White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said Thursday that the cause, still not... more »

• Briefing To Be Streamed Live on TV and KATC.com

  April 29, 2010 1:38 PM

  Governor Bobby Jindal will be holding a briefing at 2:30 in Baton Rouge to update residents on the oil spill emergency. KATC will carry that speech live on television and at KATC.com. more »

• Congressional Investigation Into Oil Rig Explosion

  April 27, 2010 5:15 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - Lawmakers have asked the owner and operator of the oil rig that exploded last week in the Gulf of Mexico for documents as part of a congressional investigation into the accident. The chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Democratic Rep. Henry Waxman of California, and... more »

• No Oil Leaks Found From Deep Water Horizon Rig

  April 23, 2010 11:22 AM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - No oil appeared to be leaking after a drilling rig exploded and sank in the Gulf of Mexico, the Coast Guard said Friday, though officials were trying to contain what spilled from the blast and prevent any threat to the coast's fragile ecosystem. The search continued... more »

• Obama Orders Help in Gulf of Mexico

  April 22, 2010 7:36 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama is ordering federal agencies to devote every resource necessary to help with the situation in the Gulf of Mexico where an oil platform exploded and sank. White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said Obama was briefed Thursday afternoon by top officials from... more »

• Jindal Releases Statement Regarding Oil Rig Explosion

  April 22, 2010 7:11 PM

  Governor Bobby Jindal released the following statement today regarding the Coast Guard's most recent update on the oil rig explosion south of Venice: "I spoke to Admiral Mary Landry with the U.S. Coast Guard a few hours ago and she said that while rescue efforts are still continuing to look... more »

• No Violations: Drilling Rig That Exploded

  April 22, 2010 4:11 PM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Three recent federal inspections turned up no violations at an offshore drilling rig that exploded and sank in the Gulf of Mexico. The Minerals Management Service said it inspected the Deepwater Horizon in February, March and on April 1. Spokeswoman Eileen Angelico says the rig moved... more »

• Lawsuit Filed Following Rig Explosion

  April 22, 2010 12:39 PM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A lawsuit is claiming the companies involved in an oil platform explosion off the Louisiana coast were negligent. The lawsuit was filed in New Orleans on Thursday on behalf of a Mississippi man who worked on the rig and is one... more »

• Thursday: Oil Rig Explosion Update

  April 22, 2010 12:19 PM

  PORT FOURCHON, La. (AP) - A Coast Guard helicopter and rescue plane resumed the search Thursday for 11 workers missing after a massive explosion aboard an oil platform off the Louisiana coast. The rig continued to burn as supply vessels shot water into it try... more »

• Search for Missing Will Continue Overnight

  April 21, 2010 10:19 PM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - The Coast Guard by sea and air planned to search overnight for 11 workers missing since a thunderous explosion rocked an oil drilling platform that continued to burn late Wednesday, more than a day since it sent a fireball into the ... more »

• Update: Search Continues for 11 Workers Following Oil Rig Explosion

  April 21, 2010 4:44 PM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - An explosion rocked an offshore oil drilling platform, sending a column of fire into the sky and touching off a frantic search at sea Wednesday for 11 missing workers. Most of the 126 workers on the rig Deepwater Horizon escaped safely... more »

• Evacuated Workers Missing After Oil Rig Explosion

  April 21, 2010 6:24 AM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - The Coast Guard says at least 11 people are missing and seven hurt after an explosion and fire at an oildrilling platform in the Gulf of Mexico off Louisiana. The rig -- which is still burning -- is owned by Transocean Ltd. of Houston. Spokesman... more »

• State Police: I-10 Open

  November 24, 2009 7:08 PM

  Interstate 10 in Lake Charles is now open for motorist traveling on Interstate 10 east and westbound through Lake Charles. On November 24 at 11:00 am, a tractor trailer transporting butane overturned near the Interstate 10 exit in the city of Westlake. State Police Emergency Services were called to... more »

• Offshore rigs restore production following Ida

  November 10, 2009 2:29 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - Offshore oil and gas operators in the Gulf of Mexico are reboarding platforms and rigs and restoring production following Tropical Storm Ida. The Minerals Management Service's Continuity of Operations Plan team is monitoring the operators' activities. This team will be activated until operations return to normal. ... more »

• Rigs and platforms evacuated for TS Ida

  November 9, 2009 3:19 PM

  Tropical Storm Ida Activity Statistics Update - November 9, 2009: Minerals Management Service monitors activities through its Continuity of Operations Plan NEW ORLEANS - Offshore oil and gas operators in the Gulf of Mexico are evacuating platforms and rigs in the path of Tropical Storm Ida. The Minerals Management... more »

• State Police Confirm Tornado North Of Jennings

  October 22, 2009 1:48 PM

  JENNINGS, La. (AP) - A tornado wreaked havoc in the southwest Louisiana town of Jennings, uprooting trees, blowing down power lines and overturning at least one tractor-trailer traveling on Interstate 10. The National Weather Service in Lake Charles says the twister touched down about 1 p.m. Thursday and crossed the... more »

• Iberia Parish Company Debuts on Science Channel

  October 16, 2009 9:58 AM

  A Loreauville business is taking center stage on the Science Channel. Berard Transportation will be featured on a new show called Heavy Metal Taskforce. It airs at tonight (Friday, October 16) at nine. The Iberia Parish company specializes in moving extremely heavy objects. For the show workers transport a 13-hundred-ton... more »