REPORT RELEASED ON FATAL OIL AND GAS WELL BLOWOUT IN BURLESON CO.

  

The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) on Tuesday released its final report investigating an oil and gas well blowout in Burleson County that killed three contract workers and severely injured another.

The CSB’s report found that the blowout, which occurred on January 29, 2020 at the Daniel H. Wendland 1-H well operated by Chesapeake Energy, was contributed to by a “lack of effective well control practices” and “the absence of regulations governing onshore oil and gas operations.”

According to the report, the well experienced a loss of well control, resulting in an uncontrolled release of hydrocarbons.  Oil and gas escaped from the well and quickly found an ignition source, which led to the flash fire.

CSB Investigator-in-Charge Harold Griffin said “a number of shortcomings” were found when it came to safe operations at the well.  Griffin said the well operator and its contractors “did not implement effective preventative safety measures consistent with industry recommended practices, which contributed to the severity of this incident.”

The CSB is issuing recommendations to the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the American Petroleum Institute (API), and Chesapeake.

The full report can be read here.