This is a very bad oilfield incident happened recently, Drilling Site in Washington County Caught on Fire. According to the NEWS, the failure of the rig equipment results in the fire situation. The hydraulic oil from ruptured high pressure hose spilled out and caught on fire. We would like to share this news to you in order to raise aware of of oilfield safety.
Equipment failure causes fire at Washington Co. gas drilling site.
Spokesperson said an equipment failure was the cause of a fire at a gas drilling site in Washington County Wednesday evening.
Dispatchers from 911 confirmed calls came in around 5:15 p.m. for a working fire at the Jeffries drilling location near Ross Road in North Strabane Township.
Matt Pitzarella, Range Resources corporate communications and public affairs director, said EST Range and area first responders extinguished the fire shortly after 6:15 p.m.Pitzarella said the company was able to confirm that there were no injuries and that this was not a well control incident.
The fire was a result of an equipment failure on a piece of machinery, which discharged some engine oil that caught fire along with plastic liners used for environmental prevention on the ground of the location, according to Pitzarella.
Pitzarella said Range Resources will work with regulators and first responders to investigate what occurred and “take action to best prevent future incidents from happening.”
In addition, Pitzarella said the company is meeting with area residents who live near the drilling site.
“We very much understand, respect and appreciate the concerns that issues such as this may cause for nearby homes, and Range is currently meeting with area residents to explain what happened and to assist them with any issues this unfortunate matter may have caused,” Pitzarella said in a written statement.
http://www.wpxi.com/news/news/local/active-fire-drilling-site-outside-pittsburgh/nj4sZ/
Oil from hydraulic line caused fire at gas drilling site
NORTH STRABANE TOWNSHIP, Pa. —Oil from a ruptured hydraulic line is being blamed for sparking a fire at a Washington County gas drilling site Wednesday evening.
But officials with Range Resources and the state Department of Environmental Protection are trying to determine how the oil leaked and was ignited, and how to prevent similar accidents in the future.
The blaze was reported at about 5:15 p.m. at the Range Resources site on Ross Road in North Strabane Township.
Spokesman Matt Pitzarella said Range Resources crews working with local first responders managed to extinguish the flames. No injuries were reported.
Pitzarella says workers failed to put out the fire with a hand-held extinguisher before it spread to a plastic liner used to contain pollutants. County officials say the fire burned the drilling rig and two nearby trailers before it was extinguished about an hour later.
The company said a piece of machinery apparently discharged some engine oil that caught fire along with plastic liners used for environmental prevention on the ground.
DEP spokesman John Poister says some details of the fire “need to be further explained.”
http://www.wtae.com/news/fire-burning-at-north-strabane-gas-well-site/31098032
Fire reported at gas drilling site in Washington County
No one was injured in a fire Wednesday afternoon at a gas drilling site in Washington County.
The fire erupted about 5:15 p.m. at what is known as Range Resources Corp.’s Jeffries drilling location off Ross Road in North Strabane.
Range Resources personnel and firefighters extinguished the flames about an hour later using a specialty foam designed for oil and grease fires, said company spokesman Matt Pitzarella.
He stressed that this was not a gas well fire, per se, and that no residents were evacuated.
“The fire was a result of an equipment failure on a piece of machinery, which discharged some engine oil that caught fire along with plastic liners used for environmental prevention on the ground of the location,“ Pitzarella said.
“As with any incident of this nature, we will work with regulators and first responders to investigate what occurred and take action to best prevent future incidents from happening. … Range is currently meeting with area residents to explain what happened and to assist them with any issues this unfortunate matter may have caused.”
http://triblive.com/news/adminpage/7710115-74/fire-drilling-reported#axzz3R6icTJU9
