(Reuters) -An offshore natural gas pipeline that exploded near Venice, Louisiana, on Saturday night, killing one person, was owned by Whitney Oil and Gas, the U.S. Coast Guard said on Monday.
The company was not immediately available for comment.
“The explosion resulted in the death of 40-year-old Joshua Nichols of Lake Charles … The pipelines have been blocked, and one remains on fire, burning the remaining natural gas in the line,” the Louisiana State Police said in a statement earlier on Monday.
A preliminary investigation revealed that Nichols was operating a mud boat near a natural gas pipeline. For reasons still under investigation, an explosion and fire occurred while Nichols was believed to be working on the pipeline, according to police.
“Mr. Nichols was a contractor for Petroleum Co-Ordinators Inc,” Louisiana State Police told Reuters in an emailed statement.
“Coast Guard Sector New Orleans watchstanders received a report of an explosion and fire, Saturday evening, near South Pass, Louisiana,” the U.S. Coast Guard said in an email on Monday.
“The Coast Guard launched a Coast Guard Station Venice boatcrew and a Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans aircrew to search,” it added.
(Reporting by Rahul Paswan, Anjana Anil and Anushree Mukherjee in BengaluruEditing by Ros Russell and Matthew Lewis)
