5 workers missing in oil rig explosion
Patterson-UTI leader says cause of blast in Oklahoma natural gas field is unknown
A fiery explosion at an Oklahoma drilling rig leaves five people missing, including three employees of the rig’s owner, Patterson-UTI Energy of Houston.
A fiery explosion at an Oklahoma drilling rig Monday left five people missing, including three employees of the rig’s owner, Patterson-UTI Energy of Houston.
The explosion cut through the Patterson-UTI rig just before 9 a.m. Monday, according to Oklahoma authorities, and the Houston driller confirmed that three of its workers were among the missing at the Pittsburg County natural gas well site. Patterson-UTI said the fire’s cause was still unknown.
“At this moment, no one knows with certainty what happened, and it would be unwise to speculate,” Andy Hendricks, Patterson-UTI’s chief executive, said in a statement. “Well control experts and emergency responders are on-site, and we will conduct a thorough investigation when the incident is fully contained. “
Hendricks, who was traveling to Oklahoma, said the company was providing support to the families of the missing, whose names have not been released.
“There is nothing more important to us than the safety of our employees and others we partner with in the field,“Hendricks said. “Tonight, our thoughts and prayers go out to all those affected and their loved ones.”
Aerial footage showed several fires were still burning by midday on the rig and much of the
equipment had collapsed, the Associated Press reported.
“Pretty much everything that is on location is on fire,” Pittsburg County Emergency Management Director Kevin Enloe said during an afternoon news conference.
Patterson-UTI has grown in recent years into one of the nation’s largest onshore drilling and hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, companies. Patterson-UTI has about 25 drilling rigs active in Oklahoma, second only to Texas, where it has nearly 60 rigs in operation.
The incident occurred at the site of one of Patterson-UTI’s more modern APEX 1500 rigs, described as a “light, safe and efficient rapid deployment rig.” More than 20 people were working at the well site when the explosion occurred west of Quinton, about 100 miles southeast of Tulsa, authorities said.
Confirmation of any fatalities won’t be possible until the fire is extinguished and investigators can get to the scene, said Amy Elliott, a spokeswoman for the Oklahoma medical examiner’s office. Authorities said they are still searching the surrounding woods to see if anyone had fled into the area.
The drilling site was operated by Oklahoma Citybased Red Mountain Operating, said Matt Skinner, a spokesman for the Oklahoma Corporation Commission, which regulates oil and gas operators in the state. Red Mountain did not immediately comment.
Skinner said the company has not had any incidents or complaints in the last five years.