Do not rule out a remote intervention to control the well

Today, YPF is exploring in this area an unconventional vein drilling wells in the Vaca Muerta Formation, a horizon from which the controlled gas flows during these hours.

Industry sources argue that the fire adds complexity to the containment task, even though it has prevented at some point a greater spread of fumes.

Sources consulted believe that the impending arrival of US specialists from one of the companies involved in the containment of this type of fire.

Gas leak in Loma-La-Lata-Oeste.jpg

For now, there would be no official record of spilling any other fluids on the site. In other words, according to the sources consulted, the only thing that would come out of the well was shale gas which, for reasons that were not yet informed, died out in a fire on Sunday morning.

There is also no official information on why the loss could have occurred, which can range from human failure to a collapse of materials, among many other variables.

The containment operation, according to the latest information, involves a perimeter of restrictions of one kilometer.

Safety is one of the main problems when it comes to this type of incident: a well in such a critical state is a serious danger to those involved in the containment task.

This is why it is not excluded that during containment, they end up using remote equipment, still in the area, to contain fires and gas leaks.

There is a history of escapes of this type in Neuquén. This is something that has precedents in operations at Neuquen.

For example, in July 2013, when a Centennial site well caught fire near a Plottier neighborhood.

At that time, Boots & Coots specialists, who had arrived from the United States, were injecting water into the well, installing safety valves, and were able to restore the tightness of the well.

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Images of fire and gas loss in Loma La Lata

YPF well fire at Loma La Lata