OSHA Inspection: WEATHERFORD INTERNATIONAL

Issued

Mar 20, 2009

Abate by

Mar 25, 2009

Penalty

Initial $7,000 · Current $7,000

General-duty citation text

Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970:  The
employer did not
furnish employment and a place of employment which were free from
recognized hazards that
were causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm:
Linda 1-24 well site; on or about September 24, 2008, employees were
operating oil/gas well
equipment that had ignition sources during the recompletion of an oil/gas
well, the equipment
was used in close proximity to a tank where the operation discharged
flammable natural gas.
This exposed the employees to the hazards of explosion and an ensuing
fire.  The recompletion
operation was conducted on a well that produced under high pressure; it
involved the reverse
drilling of well casing plugs where lease salt water was pumped down the
well annulus and
discharged through production tubing.  An open top flow back tank received
the discharge.  On
penetration of the last plug formation pressure caused the well to flow
producing natural gas and
other flammable hydrocarbons.  The natural gas discharged from the flow
back tank into the air
and contacted the nearby pumping unit diesel engine; an explosion resulted
and the pump
operator received fatal burn injuries.  Among other methods, one feasible
and acceptable method
of abatement would be to assure that ignition sources and well discharge
points where flammable
gas could be present are controlled and separated at determined safe
distances; the State of
California Title 8, Sections 6521 and 6524, the State of Utah
Administrative Code R 614-2-4,
and American Petroleum Institute Recommended Practice 54 12.1.8 maybe used
in the
determination of safe distances.ion

Issued

Mar 20, 2009

Abate by

Mar 25, 2009

Issued

Mar 20, 2009

Abate by

Mar 25, 2009

Penalty

Initial $7,000 · Current $7,000