Search and rescue crews in Louisiana found the body of Timothy Morrison, a 44 year-old subcontractor and father of three, on Friday, October 20. Morrison went missing on October 15th following an explosion aboard a Clovelly Oil Company platform on Lake Pontchartrain.
According to Jefferson Parish Sherriff Joseph Lopinto, Mr. Morrison’s body was found in a marshy area near shore, about three miles into St. Charles Parish.
“My prayers are with Tim’s wife, Erica, and their three children,” Lopinto said during a Friday afternoon news conference. “It brings their tragedy to an end.”
Houston-Based Contractor Performing Routine Cleaning When Oil Rig Exploded
The oil rig explosion occurred shortly before 7:30 p.m. at a Clovelly oil and gas storage platform located about 1 ½ miles offshore near Kenner, Louisiana.
People living in Kenner reported hearing a loud boom that shook their homes. The explosion set off a massive fire that could be seen from shore.
Hydra Steam Generator, Inc., was working on the platform when it exploded. The Houston, Texas-based subcontractor had been hired to perform a routine cleaning measure on the rig’s pipes.
The explosion originated in a large tank located on the third floor of the platform, but investigators have yet to determine what sparked the blast.
7 Oil Rig Workers Injured in Explosion, 2 Remain in Burn Unit
Seven oil rig workers were injured in the explosion.
- Alvin Kimbrel, 55, from Belle Chase, Louisiana
- James Bordelon, 62, LaPlace, Louisiana
- Lawrence Dufrene, 45, from Marrero, Louisiana
- Davin Billiot, 27, from Houma, Louisiana
- Brent Neil, 52, from Houma, Louisiana
- Paul Phister, 52, Mandeville, Louisiana
- Cody Boudreaux, 23, Chauvin, Louisiana
Kimbrel and Dufrene remain hospitalized in the burn unit at the Baton Rouge General Medical Center. Kimbrel is listed in good condition, while Dufrene still remains in serious condition.
Three of the injured workers are Clovelly Oil employees, while four worked for Hydra Steam Generator.
Click here to read Ryan Zehl’s interview about the Clovelly oil rig explosion with WorkersCompensation.com.
Oil Rig Worker Injured in 2003 Fire Aboard Same Lake Pontchartrain Platform
Based in Covington, Louisiana, Clovelly Oil Company LLC owns a majority stake in the seven wells that are currently active on Lake Pontchartrain. It operates a total of 25 drill sites in three Louisiana parishes, mostly in Evangeline and Jefferson Parish.
According to the Times-Picayune, a worker suffered minor burns in 2003 after a welding accident caused a fire on the same Lake Pontchartrain platform.
Clovelly Oil Company LLC was also among more than 80 oil and gas companies sued in 2013 by the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority for their alleged role in eroding and degrading the state’s coastline. The suit was eventually dismissed.
In 2009, the company’s predecessor, Clovelly Oil Company Inc., agreed to pay $38,533 to reimburse the federal government for the cost of removing pollutants from an abandoned Lake Pontchartrain platform. Three other oil companies were party to the $225,000 settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice.
More Than $1 Billion in Verdicts and Settlements for Injured Oil Rig Workers
In addition to being undefeated, our Oil Rig Explosion Lawyers have won more than $1 billion in record-setting verdicts and settlements for our clients, including hundreds of offshore workers in Louisiana, Texas, and throughout the United States.
Most recently, our attorneys negotiated one of the largest plant explosion settlements in history for more than 60 workers injured as a result of the Williams Olefins Plant Explosion in Geismar, Louisiana.
Our firm is also representing the families of 3 of the 4 workers who were tragically killed in the Williams pipeline explosion in Gibson, Louisiana, as well as one of the workers seriously injured in connection with the recent Phillips 66 explosion in Paradis, Louisiana.
Click here to read Mr. Zehl’s Houma Times interview regarding the Paradis Phillips 66 pipeline explosion.
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