Workers jump from burning platform in Gulf of Mexico

Workers have been forced to jump into the water from an oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico after a fire broke out.

The blaze was first reported around 2.30am local time on Thursday, with the Coast Guard and rescue crews rushing out to the scene.

The four workers who jumped into the water were rescued, with no injuries reported.

So far, no pollution has been reported from the platform.

The pre-dawn fire was sparked on an oil platform about 130 kilometres south of Grand Isle, Louisiana.

In a statement, the Coast Guard said oil spill responders, Clean Gulf, was on its way to the platform.

The cause of the blaze is now under investigation.

Jay Morakis, a spokesman for the owner of the oil platform, Renaissance Offshore LLC said it was a "small fire".

"Completely extinguished, no injuries and all a-ok right now," Mr Morkis said.

The fire comes more than six years after an oil platform exploded and sank in the Gulf of Mexico in April 2010, killing 11 workers.

Millions of gallons of oil spewed into the Gulf for weeks before the oil well could be capped during that incident.

Another Renaissance Offshore spokesman, Oliver Marsh, released a statement to KHOU saying, "Initial efforts were made by the crew to extinguish the fire, however the decision was made to discontinue those efforts and abandon the platform due to heavy smoke.

"All four crew members onboard safely evacuated from the platform aboard a life raft and were recovered by a field vessel that had been dispatched to the location."

The Houston-based company, focuses on finding and buying “under-developed assets with upside potential in the Gulf of Mexico,” including older, legacy fields that still can produce oil, according to its website.

News break - January 6