• Wednesday, 16 May, 2012

Chesapeake controls Oklahoma blowout

Under control: Chesapeake controls blown out well in Oklahoma

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Luke Johnson , Luke Johnson , Luke Johnson , Luke Johnson

 11 January 2012 23:12 GMT

US gas giant Chesapeake Energy on Wednesday gained control of a blown out well in western Oklahoma that badly damaged a drilling rig.

At around 12:30 local time on Wednesday afternoon, crews established control of the Davis 30 12-26 1H well, about four miles north-west of Sweetwater in Roger Mills County, Chesapeake spokesman Jim Gipson said in a statement.

“Well-control efforts over the past few days resulted in a gradual, but substantial, reduction in the volume of natural gas flowing from the well,” Gipson said.

He said there was “no way to measure or accurately estimate” the volume of gas that leaked from the well, but added that “just about all of the gas burned”.

Chesapeake has now installed a pressure-control valve on the casing at the surface.

“There have been no injuries, no threat to the public or to the environment,” Gipson said.

Chesapeake subsidiary Nomac was about 900 feet into a planned 12,000-foot vertical well on 5 January when it hit an unexpected zone of pressurised natural gas. The gas rushed up the well and caught fire, setting the drilling rig ablaze.

Gipson said the Nomac Rig 17 was “heavily damaged” in the fire. The rig and its components are still being salvaged and it is too early to tell if the rig will be a loss, he told Upstream.

A complete site evaluation and incident investigation are underway, Gipson said.

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