Active oil wells that bring petroleum oil and hydrocarbons to the surface require constant maintenance to ensure that they are operating properly and safely. Unfortunately, even the most well maintained oil well could become unstable and result in a blowout, in which the failure of pressure control systems leads to the uncontrolled release of crude oil and natural gas aboveground.
What is an Oil Well Blowout?
Drilling wells use internal pressure to keep fluids circulating properly. Disruptions with this pressure can, however, result in an oil well blowout, in which the flow of a well’s contents is reversed and driven up and out onto ground level. Oil well blowouts are hard to predict and prevent, as they have a number of different causes, including:
- Unforeseen geologic conditions;
- Drilling into a pressurized reservoir;
- Pumping too much drilling mud into the well to create pressure, which can interact with geologic substances and launch oil and gas upwards;
- Using faulty equipment or improper materials, such as the wrong drilling mud mixture, which can cause clay blockages and excessive pressure; and
- Oil well mismanagement, including a failure to install or maintain a blowout preventer.
These kinds of accidents can happen at any time during the drilling process and almost always have catastrophic repercussions for nearby workers.
Oil Well Blowouts Cause Serious Injuries
In addition to oil and gas, well blowouts can lead to the forceful expulsion of mud, sand, and rocks, all of which can strike a nearby worker and cause serious blunt force injuries. The sudden release of pressure that accompanies an oil well blowout can also destroy equipment parts, snap heavy cables on the surface, and even destabilize entire oil derricks, which can also cause injuries. Besides blunt force trauma, oilfield employees who are working in proximity to an oil well blowout can suffer:
- Lacerations from snapping cables, damaged equipment, and rocks and debris;
- Amputations from being crushed beneath collapsing equipment or flying debris;
- Ear and eye injuries, caused by flying debris and the loud explosive noises that accompany blowouts;
- Burns caused by the release of flammable hydrocarbons that ignite via a spark of friction;
- Inhalation injuries from exposure to toxins, such as methane, carbon monoxide, and hydrogen sulfide, which can be deadly; and
- Psychological trauma, which can be accompanied by headaches, insomnia, and mood swings.
These types of catastrophic injuries can be ruinously expensive to treat, with many injured workers often requiring long stays in the hospital, surgeries and post-op care, assistive devices, ongoing physical therapy, and medications. Fortunately, injured oilfield workers can often recover reimbursement for these expenses, as well as their lost wages from their employers.
Drilling Mud and Well Control
Drilling mud is a mixture of water or oil, clay, weighting materials and chemicals that is pumped down the well while drilling. It cools and lubricates the bit, carries rock cuttings to the surface and, most important for safety, provides the weight that holds back gas and oil in the formation. The right mud weight for a well depends on the pressures underground, which is why operators survey and test before and during drilling.
When the mud is too light for the pressure in the formation, the well is “underbalanced,” and gas can flow into the wellbore. Crews are supposed to watch for that flow with flow checks, gas monitors and alarms, and to close the blowout preventer before gas reaches the surface. Cutting corners on mud, monitoring or training removes those safeguards.
Oklahoma has seen the consequences. In January 2018, a blowout and fire at the Pryor Trust gas well in Pittsburg County killed five workers. The U.S. Chemical Safety Board found that unplanned underbalanced operations let a large amount of gas into the well over more than 14 hours, that flow checks were not performed, and that the rig’s alarm system had been turned off. The fire blocked both doors of the driller’s cabin, trapping the workers inside.
Oilfield Explosions and Fires
Blowouts are not the only source of oilfield explosions. Storage tanks, separators and other equipment hold flammable hydrocarbon vapors, and workers have been killed when vapors ignited during welding or cutting nearby. Static electricity, lightning, friction and electrical equipment can all provide a spark. Explosions and fires have also been linked to:
- Poorly maintained drilling and production equipment;
- Corrosion in pipes and metal tanks;
- Drilling into high-pressure zones despite warning signs;
- Malfunctioning valves, gauges and safety devices; and
- Severe weather, including high winds and lightning.
Injuries from explosions include severe burns, broken bones, amputations, brain injuries, lung damage from smoke and hot gases, and loss of sight or hearing.
Pipeline Explosions
Thousands of miles of oil and natural gas pipelines cross Oklahoma. Because they carry flammable product under pressure, a leak or rupture can cause a fire or explosion that injures workers and people who live nearby. Pipeline explosions are often traced to:
- Improper installation, including poor welds;
- Aging and corroded pipe, joints and meters;
- Poor maintenance or repair;
- Defective pipe or safety equipment;
- Failure to respond to reports of leaks; and
- Digging near a line without locating it first.
Who Can Be Held Responsible
Blowouts and explosions usually involve several companies: the well operator, the drilling contractor, the company that supplied the mud and the engineers who managed it, equipment makers and service companies. Injured workers are generally covered by workers’ compensation, and they may also have personal injury claims against other companies whose negligence contributed to the accident. People who live or work nearby and are hurt, or whose property is damaged, may have claims as well. Our article on the common causes of Oklahoma oilfield accidents explains workers’ compensation and third-party claims in more detail.
Contact Levinson Law, P.C. for Legal Help Today
Oil well blowouts tend to have catastrophic consequences that can leave injured oilfield workers reeling under the heavy burden of physical injuries and expensive medical bills. You do not, however, have to shoulder these burdens alone. For help with your oilfield accident claim, call the experienced and compassionate Tulsa oilfield accident lawyers at Levinson Law, P.C. today.
Sources:
csb.gov/csb-issues-final-report-into-fatal-gas-well-blowout/
osha.gov/etools/oil-and-gas/drilling/well-control-blowout-preventers