My condolences to the Family regarding this bad incident (Fatality Incident in Colorado- Fracking Accident Kills 1 Halliburton crew member and two were injured at Weld County Site). We’ve seen a lot of catastrophic incident about the fracking job and we would like to emphasize everybody about the trapped pressure potential. This can happen very quickly. These are some NEWS on internet that we collect for everybody and we wish the industry would learn from the failure to make the safer work place.
Source: Denver Post
A high-pressure water line that had frozen overnight at a Weld County fracking site exploded early Thursday as workers tried to thaw it, officials said. One worker was killed and two were seriously injured.
The accident happened at an Anardarko Petroleum Corp. location near Mead during fracking operations run by Halliburton Co. It prompted Anadarko to suspend all fracking operations in the area as a safety measure.
Two other Halliburton employees were taken to Denver Health and Medical Center of the Rockies in Loveland.
“This is a very difficult time for all of us at Halliburton, and we are working with local authorities as they look into the details of this incident,” Halliburton said in a statement. “Our thoughts and prayers are with our employees’ loved ones. Out of respect for the families’ privacy, we are not releasing any additional information at this time.”
Weld County Sheriff’s Office deputies are investigating the accident. According to initial reports, the death and injuries were caused by a high-pressure water valve that ruptured, said agency spokesman Sean Standridge.
Firefighters are also on scene.
The incident occurred at 9:30 a.m. at a rig site off of Weld County Road 9½ just north of Colo. 66 near Mead.
The workers were trying to warm the pipe, which had frozen, when it ruptured, Standridge said. The temperature was about 10 degrees at the time, but overnight temperatures were well below zero.
The water pressure was estimated at between 2,500 and 3,500 pounds per square inch. Dozens of people work at the site, which is about two hundred yards long.
An Anadarko statement said Thursday’s accident “has left us all shaken and heartbroken. We have suspended all completions activities in the area and will cooperate fully with the authorities in their review.”
Federal investigators with the Occupational Safety & Health Administration in Denver were notified of the fatal accident at about 11:30 a.m. Thursday, said Herb Gibson, OSHA area director.
Two investigators are at the Mead area site looking into the accident, Gibson said.
“It’s a dangerous industry,” Gibson said. “This is a tragic situation.”
The OSHA investigation is in a preliminary stage, Gibson said, and he could not go into further details. The federal agency was contacted Thursday by local government officials, Gibson said.
In 2012, a 60-year-old worker died in another Weld County drilling accident that occurred when pressurized gas was released as workers prepared an Encana Corp. Davis well pad to begin pumping.
Source: ABC NEWS
An accident at a hydraulic fracturing site in northern Colorado killed one worker and seriously injured two others Thursday, authorities said.
The three men were trying to heat a frozen high-pressure water line at the oil or gas well site when it ruptured, Weld County sheriff’s Sgt. Sean Standridge said. One man was hit by a stream of water and died from the impact.
The injured men — Thomas Sedlmayr, 48, and Grant Casey, 28 — were flown to hospitals. The name of the man who was killed was not released.
The accident happened near Mead, about 35 miles north of Denver, on the fourth straight day of frigid weather in the region.
“The pipe was frozen and they were trying to heat it up to get it flowing again,” Standridge said.
The temperature in the area was about zero degrees at the time of the accident, National Weather Service meteorologist Bob Kleyla said. Overnight, the temperature had dropped to minus 5, which is severe but not as cold as in other locations in Colorado such as Denver International Airport, where the low was minus 14.
The men were working for Halliburton Co., which Anadarko Petroleum Corp. contracted to perform fracking operations at the well. Fracking involves injecting high-pressure mixtures of water, sand or gravel, and chemicals into the ground to extract oil and gas from rock.
After the accident, Anadarko shut down all the fracking pads in the area as a safety precaution.
“This is a very difficult time for all of us at Halliburton, and we are working with local authorities as they look into the details of this incident,” Halliburton spokeswoman Chevalier Mayes said in a statement.
Three inspectors from the Occupational Health and Safety Administration were at the site investigating the cause of the accident and whether it could have been prevented, Area Director Herb Gibson said. He said there had been no prior fatalities at the Anadarko site.
“It’s definitely a dangerous industry,” Gibson said.
