An offshore natural gas well blew out yesterday in the Gulf of Mexico about 150 miles south of the Louisiana coast. All personnel were safely evacuated and no injuries were reported.

Environmental group Natural Resources Defense Council took the opportunity to comment on risk associated with petroleum development and suggested that risk is too great in places like the Arctic for oil and gas development to be allowed to proceed.

“We must recognize that certain areas — like the Arctic Ocean — pose special hazards and challenges that make them unfit for offshore oil and gas operations,” NRDC President Frances Beinecke said in a statement.

Breaking Energy is heading to Alaska to cover the US Association of Energy Economics North America Conference being held in Anchorage next week. Arctic development risk is sure to feature prominently during the proceedings – not least because of this most-recent accident – so follow our coverage for the latest.