MAY 21, 2015
KARNES CITY, TEXAS
Crews have secured a massive natural gas leak at an Encana
oil well just east of Karnes City where state regulators have now launched an
investigation into the accident.
Massive plumes of white smoke were seen shooting out of the
Dromgoole 8BH drilling site off FM 792 and County Road 343 about 4 miles east
of central Karnes City on Monday afternoon.
Encana Corp. (NYSE: ECA) officials reported that well
control crews slowed the flow of the gas leak on Tuesday and
"secured" it by 7:35 p.m. Wednesday.
The Karnes County Sheriff's Office reported that almost two
dozen rural homes were evacuated due to the gas leak but it's not clear when
they will be allowed to return home.
Encana reported that company officials are working with
residents and paid for them to stay at a local hotel but crews are also
monitoring the area for the presence of any dangerous or poisonous gases.
It's not clear what caused the accident but Encana officials
reported that the company is conducting its own internal investigation.
The Texas
Railroad Commission and Texas
Commission on Environmental Quality are also conducting their own
regulatory investigations into the accident.
Source: http://www.bizjournals.com
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KARNES CITY, Texas
Between 15-20
homes north of Karnes City were evacuated Tuesday afternoon due to what
Karnes County Sheriff Dwayne Villanueva said is a natural gas leak.
The homes are located on FM 792 between Kenedy and Helena. Karnes City is located about an hour southeast of San Antonio.
A spokesperson for the Encana Corporation issued a statement Tuesday evening that reads:
"At
approximately 3:30 p.m. CST on May 19, 2015 Encana experienced a well
control situation at the Dromgoole 8BH well located near the
intersection of Highway 792 and Highway 343 approximately 4 miles east
of central Karnes City, Texas.
"No injuries have been reported
from the location. We immediately activated our emergency response plan.
As a precaution, neighbors living in the immediate area were evacuated.
Local authorities are on location.
"We are monitoring for the
presence of H2S. Our main priority is to ensure the safety of our staff
and community. We will continue to monitor the area.
"We are
working to shut down well and will provide additional information as it
becomes available. The cause is not known at this time.
"We will work to determine the exact cause and will conduct a comprehensive review into what occurred."
H2S,
as referenced in the statement, is hydrogen sulfide, a colorless,
flammable, extremely hazardous gas with a “rotten egg” smell that occurs
naturally in crude petroleum and natural gas, according to the
Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
Clean up crews
remained on scene Tuesday evening in an effort to shut down the well,
but officials said it could take some time.
An evacuation order was in effect for a 3-mile radius of the rig just as a precaution.