Venezuela Natural Gas Rig Sinks

Here we go again: Just three weeks after a sunken oil rig began spewing 200,000 gallons of oil a day into the Gulf, another rig off the eastern coast of Venezuela has sunk due to a faulty flotation system. Luckily, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said, via his Twitter account, that all 95 workers are safe. No leak has been detected. The rig was positioned to tap offshore gas reserves that could be used to power thermoelectric plants. The state-owned oil company said a "massive" inflow of water occurred when the flotation system failed, though technicians were able to seal the gas well before the platform sank. "Fortunately the well poses no environmental risks," said the Venezuelan oil minister. "We've contacted the owner of the platform and the experts are studying the cause of the unfortunate incident."