Blue Monioch offshore oil platform catches fire off the coast of Pzarya
NIKOLAS MAKRELIS COSTA Ploio, Kydontum, Rhayna Published Monday, September 2, 2024
This morning at 7:23 AM local time, an explosion was reported at Blue Monioch oil rig by close-by vessels, followed by a tower of fire.
From the 289 workers aboard the drilling operative, 13 were able to evacuate and have been rescued by the coast guard, however, many more are yet to be found.
This is currently a developing history while both owners of the oil rig and the drilling company are questioned on their possible previous knowledge about safety concerns that could have stopped the operation.
Investigation into Marinex for possible negligence
NIKOLAS MAKRELIS COSTA Ploio, Kydontum, Rhayna Published Monday, September 24, 2024
After weeks of the tragic explosion of Blue Monioch oil rig, the oil spill was able to be contained to the areas surrounding the delta of the Imisy river, however, no bodies were recovered. 276 workers, from engineers to divers, have been declared dead.
After the tragedy, the owners of the oil drill, Marinex Ltd., have been called to court and an investigation will be put in place to discover whether the company was working under legislation.
The CEO of the company, Alekos Gonatelis, when questioned about his involvement in the disaster, just stated: “We’ll work with the law enforcement.”
The families of the deceased workers have demanded repercussions against the company, while the 13 survivors will provide their testimony in the investigation.
Marinex investigation reveals a history of negligences since 2018
NIKOLAS MAKRELIS COSTA Ploio, Kydontum, Rhayna Published Thursday, September 26, 2024
The court responsible for the investigation into the Blue Monioch disaster has dug up reports as far back as 2018, 2 years after the purchase of Rhayco Oil and Gas Ltd. by Marinex.
The purchase of Rhayco O&G’s assets succeced the declaration of bankruptcy by the company after a long investigation due to apparent poor job quality standards, which made the company’s actions to decrease in price by 36%.
Since 2018, safety reports by Marinex seem to follow a pattern of minor negligences and multiple work accidents where, in most of them, workers where tagged at fault. These accidents were specially common aboard the Blue Monioch.
The accidents were mostly related to the drilling components, which ended with the explosion of the pipe that extracted the oil due to exceeding well pressures.
The defense stated they were not informed on the limits of the structure by their sellers even after multiple contacts, and that their engineers, upon investigation, assumed the oil rig to be rated for the depths they were working at.
The former members of Rhayco O&G, who were assimilated into the company after the purchase, have been called to court to testify.
Politics Environment Culture Science International
Rhayna
ECONOMY
Survivor of Blue Monioch disaster dies in traffic accident
NIKOLAS MAKRELIS COSTA Ploio, Kydontum, Rhayna Published Wednesday, October 16, 2024
Tragedy struck this Thursday when Alexis Kolamounos, worker in the Blue Monioch and survivor of the catastrophic failure of the platform, died aged 43 in a car accident.
Witnesses declare that when Kolamounos was driving back to his home from court, he was cut suddenly by a driver in the A-43, making him swerve into a safety barrier.
Despite paramedics quick response to the scene, he passed on due to cardiac arrest. 3 days of mourning have been declared in his town, Lamethra.
The court proceedings for the investigation of Marinex have been put in halt momentarily for rescheduling, and the witnesses have not stated their opinion on this. However, activists have implored to keep the delays to a minimum, “Justice must be practiced swiftly, any delays allow for new delays.”
The driver has been apprehended and will soon go through court proceedings for involuntary homicide. Both Marinex and Kolamounos’ family have expressed their sadness on his passing.
Politics Environment Culture Science International
Rhayna
ECONOMY
Marinex looming fines spark fears of an economic recession
NIKOLAS MAKRELIS COSTA Ploio, Kydontum, Rhayna Published Monday, October 21, 2024
While the investigation on Marinex progresses slowly but surely, and the call for justice is strong, some economists are warning about the effects of a bankrumptcy of Marinex Ltd.
As of 2024, Marinex performs around 26% of drilling operations in Rhaynan continental shelf alone, and although its dissappearance is unlikely to bring about an economic crisis, it could bring an end to almost 5 decades of continued GDP growth in Rhayna.
As of now, the administration of the current socialist government is discussing on the status of Marinex as a “critical business”, and if so, the next steps for the government after a tumultuous period of observed “inaction” by the current prytanis Romanos Kanidis.
“The current socialist government understands the implications of a Marinex downfall, and won’t allow its fall to be shouldered by the average Rhaynan worker. This government will do everything in our hands to leave as unaffected as possible the prices of oil, gas, and other goods which prices could be bloated by this punctual event,” replied the Minister of Economy in a press roll.
Easier said than done, the government will most likely require a large support by their local coalition allies, who distrust the Socialist Party after discussions about provincial expending went cold, to proceed with any actions involving Marinex.
Politics Environment Culture Science International
Rhayna
ECONOMY
Marinex declared “too big to fail”
NIKOLAS MAKRELIS COSTA Ploio, Kydontum, Rhayna Published Tuesday, October 24, 2024
The last government session, which was marked by a sense of urgency by the current situation, ended with the categorization of Marinex Ltd. as a critical business, which allows the government to take special actions regarding the oil behemoth.
Right after, a reunion between all the non-socialist provincial leaders, the government ministries and the prytanis was declared. Cybele Agnaki, prytanis of Kydontum for the Kaly-thean Interest Party, jokingly said in a quick interview as all the provincial prytanis were leaving the parliament for the reunion, “I didn’t even get to drink a coffee and we are running from one place to another.”
Tomorrow, a government session will decide the fate of the oil company, whether a partial nationalization is to be expected, and the measures to control the price of oil, which in the UPRAN has risen from $69.95 per barrel to $78.44 since the explosion of the Blue Monioch.
Politics Environment Culture Science International
Rhayna
ECONOMY
Partial nationalization of Marinex is completed
NIKOLAS MAKRELIS COSTA Ploio, Kydontum, Rhayna Published Monday, November 4, 2024
Since the government session of October 25, in which the decision to nationalize Marinex was made, the process was finally finished, with the buy of a controlling share of the company amounting to just 15 million due to its fall in the market.
The central government has released a plan for the company, with the first stage centered on the control of the prices and the prosecution of the past owners. Next steps involve its reform and subsequent division into smaller companies that will be released back into the private market.
The governent also passed in a recent session a temporal tax cut in the drilling and sell of oil in Rhayna with fines to any underproducting company to try to fill the gap left by Marinex, and subsidies for the oil and gas sold to reduce the prices for consumers.
However, the government reminds the population and companies that all these measures are temporal and the government won’t be able to keep them indefinitely.
