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West Virginia gaswell explosion & fire injures 7 workers
(6/7/2010 - OGI: Houston) A Marcellus Shale gaswell being drilled in northern West Virginia this morning broke through an abandoned coal mine striking a pocket of methane gas and exploded, injuring five crewmen from Union Drilling and two employees of BJ Services.
According to Bill Hendershot, an inspector with the Department of Environmental Protection's Office of Oil and Gas, the well, which is still burning out of control, is about 55 miles southwest of Pittsburgh. Because of the remote location, it is believed to present no danger to people or structures.
Hendershot said Union Drilling crew had drilled the Chief Oil & Natural Gas-operated well to about 1,100 ft when the blast occurred, sending a column of flames 70 ft into the air. He said the company had drilled through the old mine previously without incident.
Wild Well Control has been called to extinguish the fire and is said to be enroute from Houston to the site.
Jeff Funke, an area director with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) office in Charleston, West Virginia, said the injured workers have been hospitalized in Pittsburgh in fair condition. An investigation into the cause of the explosion and fire is underway.
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