Incident Report Subject: USA - Encana Workers Injured in Jonah Field Fire Date of Email report: Sat 23/11/2013 Report Detail:
Five workers were injured when a tank exploded in the Jonah natural gas field near Pinedale on Friday morning. One worker was listed in critical condition while two others were said to be in serious condition, according to the Sublette County Sheriff’s Department. A fourth worker was listed in stable condition, while the fifth was treated and released from a Pinedale clinic. The explosion took place by a battery of six condensate tanks at an Encana drilling site, said Doug Hock, a company spokesman. Three of the workers were employed by ASAP Construction of Boulder in Sublette County. The two others were contract welders. “This appears to be related to the welding they were doing,” Hock said. “That was the ignition source.” The exact cause of the explosion remains under investigation. Emergency officials responded to a report that a tank exploded at Encana’s Antelope 91-29H facility, some 35 miles south of Pinedale, around 10:15 a.m., the Sheriff’s Department said. A fire on the site was not put out until shortly after 1 p.m. Sublette County EMS, the Boulder and Big Piney volunteer fire departments and sheriff’s deputies responded to the explosion. Encana said it activated its emergency response plan in response to the explosion. Of the six condensate tanks, five were affected by the blaze. Hock described them as charred, torn and knocked over. “They were on fire,” he said. Condensate is a byproduct of natural gas production. A nearby drilling rig was unaffected, Hock said. Two workers were flown to the University of Utah Medical Center. Another was flown to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center ,while a fourth worker was transported to Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County in Rock Springs. The incident will be investigated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. “This has been a difficult and sad day, and our friends and co-workers that were hurt are in our thoughts and prayers,” Encana spokeswoman Bridget Ford said. Additional Documentation:
|
