RAW VIDEO: Gulf Oil Platform Explosion Caught on Tape | Newsbreaker | OraTV

Host @DavidBegnaud delivers breaking news and today's trending buzz in 45 seconds.

ABCNEWS.COM

A body believed to be one of the workers missing since an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico exploded was recovered late last night in the water near the platform.

A private dive team hired by Houston-based Black Elk Energy found the remains of an unidentified person Saturday night, U.S. Coast Guard spokesman Carlos Vega said.

The Coast Guard has suspended its search, but John Hoffman, president and CEO of Black Elk Energy, which owns the platform, vowed to continue looking for the second worker.

"The workers impacted by this accident continue to be our primary focus," Hoffman wrote in an email to The Associated Press.

The two workers jumped from the burning platform into the Gulf of Mexico after their oil rig exploded off the coast of Louisiana Friday.

The Coast Guard had been working for more than 24 hours to find the rig workers, whose names and genders have not been released. Air and sea units searched for what they believed would be two survivors.

But on Saturday night, the search was suspended.

The rig was not producing oil on Friday morning when the explosion occurred. Black Hawk Energy, which owns the platform, said one of 22 contractors on board mistakenly grabbed a blow torch instead of a saw to cut a pipe line that had 28 gallons of oil inside, igniting the blast. Everyone on board was employed by Grand Isle Shipyard, not Black Elk.

Of the 11 injured workers who were air-lifted to safety, four had severe burns. No deaths have been reported.

The rig had been expected to begin oil production again later this month. Because the rig was offline, the Coast Guard said there is little risk of a major spill.

"The environmental threat as we know, there were 28 gallons that potentially were in that 3-inch line, 75 feet long, which would equate to 28 gallons of product," said Ed Cubanski, chief of the U.S. Coast Guard response.

As of Friday evening, an oil sheen spread to half a square mile from the 28 gallons, which is less than what an SUV gas tank might hold.

The Louisiana explosion is a reminder of the 2010 Deepwater Horizonspill about 85 miles away, which made headlines this week when BP agreed to a $4.5 billion settlement and two BP officials were charged with manslaughter. But that spill amounted to 210 million gallons, and resulted in 11 deaths.

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  News & Politics

[WestSkier11]

Just my opinion, though. You seem pretty knowledgeable about this stuff.

[WestSkier11]

And right now the only way wind is somewhat feasible and affordable is if its onshore. But everybody says "not in my backyard", so like the oil companies, they'll be forced to go offshore and further and further offshore. The further you go offshore, the cost and danger skyrockets. You are totally right, though, the technology just isnt here yet. Thats why Liquefied Natural Gas and Diesel are the best options right now to reduce pollution and create electricity.Nuclear Power has some bad PR :(

[WestSkier11]

The same hypocrisy exists here in the U.S.For decades, the environmentalists have been telling us that Natural Gas would be the gateway energy to cleaner skies.Now that NG has the real possibility of widespread use,the same environmentalists are doing everything in their power to stop NG drilling,even though NG has already replaced Coal in most parts of the country. I work in the Offshore industry, so I'm employed either with offshore wind or gas.But the gas companies are lied about constantly.

[MovieMad007]

So I have no idea what future energy requirements are going to be like in your neck of the woods.....over there in the US!

[MovieMad007]

Oh I didn't know that........! Its worrying though - how are we going to generate electricity in the future? I mean like here in the UK - the environmentalists think wind mills blight the countryside and cite wind-noise pollution and inefficiency, solar power just isn't viable here in the UK, no British company will build any new nuclear power-stations because our last British hope has literally just pulled out of funding the new power stations! Its a bad situation.....

[WestSkier11]

What are you talking about? Halliburton is about to get sacked by the Feds. Transocean knows their shit yet they seem to be the scapegoats of it all.

[MovieMad007]

Did the US Government fine this company for dangerous practices then like they did to BP??? Nope i bet they didn't because it was American!

[MovieMad007]

to let one oil rig blow up maybe regarded as a misfortune.....to lose 2 looks like carelessness! Can't blame BP for this!

[Jeff Cohn]

We mapped this location and thousands of other oil and gas safety issues at Drilling Maps .com