Workers killed in Petrobras platform blast: UpdateOREANDA-NEWS. February 12, 2015. An explosion this afternoon aboard an oil platform in the Espirito Santo basin's Camarupim field operated by Brazilian state-controlled Petrobras has killed an unspecified number of workers and injured others, according to a spokesman for the Norwegian platform owner BW Offshore.

Petrobras and Brazilian oil regulator ANP confirmed that three of the 74 workers on board died, four were injured and six are missing, echoing an earlier statement from the oil workers union.

Petrobras has removed 33 workers from the platform, 31 remain on board.

The blast took place on the 25,000 b/d floating, production, storage and offloading (FPSO) unit Cidade de S?o Mateus.

The injured have been helicoptered to a hospital in Vitoria, the capital of Espirito Santo state.

The union said a natural gas leak caused the blast, and a related fire is now under control. "There is no risk of new explosions," the union said.

The explosion did not cause an oil spill and the platform is stable, the ANP said.

The ANP said it will send two teams to investigate the cause of the accident, one to Petrobras' crisis room in Rio de Janeiro, and a second to the FPSO.

BW Offshore is preparing a statement.

On stream since 2009, the platform is responsible for around 2,900 b/d of oil and 2.2mn m3/d of gas.

Petrobras is the sole owner of the Camarupim field and holds a 65pc operating interest in the Camarupim Norte field. Brazilian independent Ouro Preto holds the remaining 35pc.