May 19, 2015
By Anna Liesowska
Accident involving drilling works sparks massive blaze but
thankfully no injuries.
During drilling of a well for the installation of a deep anode
bed, builders came across a shallow gas lens. There was a gas explosion.'
Picture: Yury Lushin/RIA Novosti
Emergency services responded to an explosion at a gas field
in the Yamal Peninsula following an accident during drill works.
The Yamal Peninsula (Russian: полуо́стров Яма́л) is located in Yamal-Nenets autonomous district of northwest Siberia. Russia. It extends roughly 700 km (435 mi) and is bordered principally by the Kara Sea, Baydaratskaya Bay on the west, and by the Gulf of Ob on the east
The Yamal Peninsula (Russian: полуо́стров Яма́л) is located in Yamal-Nenets autonomous district of northwest Siberia. Russia. It extends roughly 700 km (435 mi) and is bordered principally by the Kara Sea, Baydaratskaya Bay on the west, and by the Gulf of Ob on the east
A total of 12 firefighters were called to the scene at
Bovanenkovo on Sunday morning after an operation to dig a well accidentally
breached gas reserves.
It happened as workers were taking part in an exercise to
lay specialist equipment 100 metres below the ground. Fortunately no-one was
injured in the incident, which sent flames shooting 15 metres into the sky.
According to Gazprom Dobycha Nadym, a Gazprom subsidiary
which controls work at Bovanenkovo, it was not a working well.
A statement said: 'During drilling of a well for the
installation of a deep anode bed, builders came across a shallow gas lens.
There was a gas explosion.
'This incident has no relation to the process of gas
extraction, or exploration.'
The fire was extinguished by the evening and now the
drilling rig is in the process of being cooled down.
It is not the first accident on the Yamal gas fields. In
January this year, a fire broke out in the Severo-Gubkinskoye field, with a
special military group brought in to help fight the blaze.