On April 21, a fire broke out on the Cherne 1 (PCH-1) offshore platform, owned by Petrobras and located in Brazil’s Campos Basin. The blaze was brought under control with no fatalities reported, and an investigation into the cause is currently underway.
According to the Norte Fluminense Oil Workers’ Union, the fire began at 7:25 a.m. local time. A large plume of smoke was visible from nearby platforms. While some reports suggest a possible explosion, this has not been confirmed. Emergency response vessels battled the flames for nearly four hours, and the fire was contained by 11:25 a.m. As a safety measure, gas flow from the platform was halted.
During the emergency response, one worker fell into the ocean but was quickly rescued by arriving support vessels and was found conscious and unharmed. A total of 176 non-essential personnel were evacuated from the platform. Of those, 32 were transported to hospitals—14 with burns and the others suffering from smoke inhalation.
Petrobras stated that Cherne 1 had not been in oil production since 2020 and was sold in April 2024 to Perenco Oil and Gas of Brazil Ltd., an independent oil and gas company. However, the transfer has not yet been finalized, and Petrobras still manages the platform.
The company has announced the formation of a commission to conduct a thorough investigation into the incident and determine its cause.
