A gas company ignored warnings before the deadly explosion in Oklahoma



[ad_1]

Breaking News E-mails

Receive last minute alerts and special reports. News and stories that matter, broadcast in the morning on weekdays.

From Associated Press

QUINTON, Oklahoma – A drilling company's managers ignored several warnings that the safety equipment of 39; a Oklahoma gas well was operating badly before the blast that killed five workers The family of one of the deceased workers claims in a recent complaint filed in court

The Parker Waldridge's family claims in a December 4 amendment to his wrongful death lawsuit that a "cascade of errors and multiple deviations from safe drilling practices" "The drilling company Patterson- UTI Drilling led to the explosion of January 22 near Quinton, about 125 kilometers east of Oklahoma City.

The lawsuit alleges that at least two days before the explosion, the supervisor of the facility, the manager and more Other Patterson employees have been emailed the results of a lab test signaling problems with the platform accumulator, a piece of safety equipment that closes part of the well to prevent uncontrolled release of fluids. The warnings even came with a "graph of the head and bones crossed (literally)," says the lawsuit.

The accumulator was not able to completely close the well on the day of the explosion, found the US committee to investigate the risks and risks associated with the products chemicals.

"Patterson Drilling had the most direct control over drilling operations and emergency response in the event of a change in conditions and had not exercised the utmost vigilance with respect to its conduct", says the lawsuit.

Red Mountain Energy, owner of the well. and hired Patterson to work on him, issued a statement claiming that his "gross negligence caused a terrible tragedy".

"The facts cited in the amended motion show exactly which parties did not apply basic security procedures prior to this accident," said Red Mountain, who is also a defendant in the lawsuit.

Patterson, meanwhile, issued his own statement, calling Red Mountain Energy's allegations "inflammatory" and accusing the company of designing the second well drilling program.

"It is important to note that Red Mountain was the lease holder and operator of the well, which was drilled under his direction, supervision and control," said Patterson. "

Waldridge of Crescent, Matt Smith of McAlester, Roger Cunningham of Seminole, Josh Ray of Fort Worth, Texas, and Cody Risk of Wellington, Colorado.The autopsies revealed that the five men had died of burns and wounds. Smoke inhalation The families of each dead worker and Kevin Carrillo, who was seriously injured, sued for the blast, reported the Tulsa World newspaper .

L & ## The explosion was the deadliest accident since the installation of the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig, the Gulf of Mexico in 2010, killing 11 people.

[ad_2]
Source link