Pemex says controls fire on oil platform, won't affect output

Mexico's state-run oil company Pemex said on Saturday that a fire broke out in a machine room on a platform located in the company's top producing oilfield, but added that it would not affect production.

Pemex said via Twitter that the Zaap E platform, part of the Ku Maloob Zaap field located in shallow waters at the southern edge of the Gulf of Mexico, was being installed at the time so was not operational.

A spokesman for Pemex said that the incident would not affect production and the drilling platform was not estimated to start producing for around eight months. He said that there were no injuries and that 97 workers were evacuated.

The field produces around 860,000 barrels of crude per day, more than a third of Pemex's total crude production, according to the latest available figures.

The company added that the fire was under control and that there was no spill.