Automatic source timelineLake Pontchartrain, LATimeline updated 9 Sept 2026

Oil Platform Fire; Lake Pontchartrain, LA

NOAA initial notification: “On October 15, 2017, an oil platform in southwestern Lake Pontchartrain exploded and caught fire. Platform produces both natural gas and oil. Lines were shut in at time of explosion. Approximately 500 bbls of South Louisiana crude are in tanks on the platform. Unknown how much […]”[1]

Follow the timeline Latest included source reportOriginal sources (4)

Latest included source report

Posted 18 Oct 2017

Latest source report

“Coast Guard searching for missing man after explosion on oil platform U.S. Coast Guard sent this bulletin at 10/15/2017 11:25 PM EDT News Release October 15, 2017 U.S. Coast Guard 8th District Heartland Contact: 8th District Public Affairs Office: (504) 671-2020 After Hours: (618) 225-9008 Coast Guard searching for missing man after explosion on oil platform NEW ORLEANS – The […]” Current outcome is not independently verified by seahazards.[4]

NOAA report chronology

4 dated source records · 15 Oct 2017 to 18 Oct 2017
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NOAA incident record opened

Initial notification excerpt: “On October 15, 2017, an oil platform in southwestern Lake Pontchartrain exploded and caught fire. Platform produces both natural gas and oil. Lines were shut in at time of explosion. Approximately 500 bbls of South Louisiana crude are in tanks on the platform. Unknown how much may have been consumed in the blaze. Sector New Orleans has requested a trajectory, and resources at risk. NWS New Orleans/Baton Rouge is running air plume modelling.”

NOAA approximate incident area; not a vessel track

Initial incident area only. Dates are NOAA postings, not a vessel track. Playback advances every 5 seconds.

Milestone 1 of 4: 15 Oct 2017. NOAA incident record opened. NOAA approximate incident area; not a vessel track

  1. NOAA incident record opened

    Initial notification excerpt: “On October 15, 2017, an oil platform in southwestern Lake Pontchartrain exploded and caught fire. Platform produces both natural gas and oil. Lines were shut in at time of explosion. Approximately 500 bbls of South Louisiana crude are in tanks on the platform. Unknown how much may have been consumed in the blaze. Sector New Orleans has requested a trajectory, and resources at risk. NWS New Orleans/Baton Rouge is running air plume modelling.”

    NOAA approximate incident area; not a vessel track (30.064°, -90.273°)

    NOAA Office of Response and Restoration

  2. CG Press Release 101617

    Source report excerpt: “Update: Coast Guard continuing search for missing man after explosion on oil platform U.S. Coast Guard sent this bulletin at 10/16/2017 12:53 PM EDT News Release October 16, 2017 U.S. Coast Guard 8th District Heartland Contact: 8th District Public Affairs Office: (504) 671-2020 After Hours: (618) 225-9008 Update: Coast Guard continuing search for missing man after explosion on oil platform NEW ORLEANS – The Coast Guard is continuing to coordinate search efforts for a missing man after an explosion on an oil platform in Lake Pontchartrain near Kenner, Louisiana, Monday morning. The fire on the platform, which is owned by Clovelly Oil Co., has been extinguished. Coast Guard Air Station New […]”

    NOAA IncidentNews · source report archive

  3. CG Press Release 101617#2

    Source report excerpt: “Update to 101617 Press Release Update 2: Coast Guard suspends search for missing man, continues to monitor oil platform after explosion U.S. Coast Guard sent this bulletin at 10/16/2017 09:41 PM EDT News Release October 16, 2017 U.S. Coast Guard 8th District Heartland Contact: 8th District Public Affairs Office: (504) 671-2020 After Hours: (618) 225-9008 Update 2: Coast Guard suspends search for missing man, continues to monitor oil platform after explosion NEW ORLEANS – The Coast Guard suspended its search Monday night for the man who was unaccounted for after an explosion on an oil platform in Lake Pontchartrain near Kenner, Louisiana. Missing is Timothy Morrison, 44, of Katy, Texas. […]”

    NOAA IncidentNews · source report archive

  4. U.S. Coast Guard bulletin on 10/15/2017

    Source report excerpt: “Coast Guard searching for missing man after explosion on oil platform U.S. Coast Guard sent this bulletin at 10/15/2017 11:25 PM EDT News Release October 15, 2017 U.S. Coast Guard 8th District Heartland Contact: 8th District Public Affairs Office: (504) 671-2020 After Hours: (618) 225-9008 Coast Guard searching for missing man after explosion on oil platform NEW ORLEANS – The Coast Guard is coordinating search efforts for a missing man after an explosion on an oil platform in Lake Pontchartrain near Kenner, Louisiana, Sunday evening. Coast Guard Sector New Orleans received a report from a witness at approximately 8 p.m. of an oil platform explosion. It was reported by one of the platform […]”

    NOAA IncidentNews · source report archive
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Details in the record

Source record
NOAA IncidentNews 9603[1]
Dated source updates
3[2][3][4]

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Automatically assembled from NOAA's incident record and substantive Public Affairs or Situation Update posts. Dates are NOAA posting dates, which can differ from when events happened or original reports were published. Excerpts retain the source's wording and uncertainty. This account does not independently establish the cause, current outcome or safety of the area. NOAA coverage is selective; missing updates do not mean nothing happened. The map shows one approximate incident area, not a vessel track.

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Original sources

Timeline updated 9 Sept 2026. New reports and changes to this NOAA incident are incorporated automatically; this is not a live incident feed.

  1. 1.Oil Platform Fire; Lake Pontchartrain, LA ↗NOAA Office of Response and Restoration · 15 Oct 2017
  2. 2.CG Press Release 101617 ↗NOAA IncidentNews · source report archive · 17 Oct 2017
  3. 3.CG Press Release 101617#2 ↗NOAA IncidentNews · source report archive · 17 Oct 2017
  4. 4.U.S. Coast Guard bulletin on 10/15/2017 ↗NOAA IncidentNews · source report archive · 18 Oct 2017

Related records in our archive

Original source text, preserved separately from this account.

NOAAORR-9603 NOAA response record
Oil Platform Fire; Lake Pontchartrain, LA.
Lake Pontchartrain, LA.
1. On October 15, 2017, an oil platform in southwestern Lake Pontchartrain exploded and caught fire. Platform produces both natural gas and oil. Lines were shut in at time of explosion. Approximately 500 bbls of South Louisiana crude are in tanks on the platform. Unknown how much may have been consumed in the blaze. Sector New Orleans has requested a trajectory, and resources at risk. NWS New Orleans/Baton Rouge is running air plume modelling.
2. THREAT: OIL. COMMODITY: SOUTH LOUISIANA CRUDE OIL. MAXIMUM POTENTIAL RELEASE: 21000 GALLONS.
3. POSITION 30.064N 090.273W. NOAA INCIDENTNEWS 9603: https://incidentnews.noaa.gov/incident/9603
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