MAY 22, 2015
KARNES CITY, TEXAS
It's estimated that this week's natural gas leak from an oil
drilling site just east of Karnes City released more than 20,000 pounds of the
gas, according to an initial report from the Texas
Commission on Environmental Quality obtained by the San Antonio Business
Journal.
Encana
Corp. (NYSE: ECA) reported an accident at its Dromgoole B 8H oil well off FM
792 and County Road 343 in Karnes County on Tuesday afternoon. Crews were able
to secure the well by early Thursday morning, and the cause of the accident
remains under investigation by Encana, the TCEQ and the Texas
Railroad Commission.
The TCEQ report reveals that nearly 21,200 pounds of natural
gas were released into the air, along with thousands of pounds of propane and
butane as well as hundreds of pounds of benzene, toluene and xylene. The
incident prompted the evacuation of almost two dozen rural homes.
The TCEQ's estimates were based on an analysis of oil and
natural gas from a similar well in the same lease drilling in the same
formation, officials said.
Encana housed evacuees in a local hotel while crews
monitored the area for presence of deadly hydrogen sulfide gas to ensure the
safety of residents, first responders and employees, the company reported. No
hydrogen sulfide emissions were listed in the TCEQ report.