7 Injured In Marshall Co. Gas Well Explosion

A state inspector said a crew drilling a gas well through an abandoned coal mine ignited methane, triggering an explosion that burned seven workers in Marshall County early Monday.

The blast created a column of fire that was initially at least 70 feet high, but the flames were down to about 40 feet within hours. Gas continued to burn late in the afternoon.

State Homeland Security and Emergency Management Director Jimmy Gianato said the explosion happened around 1:30 a.m. on Beam's Lane off Route 250 near Moundsville.

Dr. Larry Jones at West Penn Hospital in Pittsburgh said he's treating all seven victims of the explosion. He said their burns range from 10 to 30 percent of their body and one victim has third-degree burns. The palm of a person's hand is one percent of a person's body.

Jones said, "None of the workers had suffered any internal injuries. None of them suffered injuries of the lungs which had required breathing machines, so from that standpoint we are dealing (with) the burn of the skin. But, they are large burns and they are significant burns."

He said none of the workers suffered life-threatening injuries and officials said when the fire erupted, workers got into their personal vehicles and drove to local hospitals.

Department of Environmental Protection inspector Bill Hendershot said the workers from Buckhannon-based contractor Union Drilling had gone about 1,100 feet when something caused the ignition. Hendershot said Union had drilled through the mine before without incident.

Union Drilling issued a statement expressing deep concern about the blast and the treatment of the injured. The company said it's cooperating with investigators.

Jason De Wolfe, spokesman for Pittsburgh-based Chief Oil & Natural Gas, the company that operates the well, said crews had been drilling at the site for a couple of days. He said the area was destroyed and crews will no longer be able to drill on the property.

Robert Hupp, who has lived on Route 250 for 40 years, said, "It's just unimaginable that something like this would happen. You know, drilling into those gas wells, I thought it was a pretty safe procedure. Evidently it's not."

A captain with the Marshall County Sheriff's Department said more than 20 fire departments from Belmont, Marshall and Ohio counties were at the scene dousing the towering flames with water. The captain said fire crews were instructed not to fully extinguish the blaze because it could lead to another explosion.

In addition, officials with the state's Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Highways and fire marshal's office were on hand. Tom Hart, of the Marshall County Department of Emergency Management, said the location of the well is remote and there is no threat to other people.

"We have a lot of assistance on hand," Hart said.

Kristi Gittins, a spokeswoman for Dallas-based Chief Oil & Gas, said a team from Texas-based rig fire company Wild Well Control will decide whether the fire should be extinguished or allowed to burn out.

Crews were drilling for Marcellus shale at the site where Chief Oil already has one well when they struck a pocket of gas. Officials said the methane may have been coming from the old, abandoned Alexander Mine.

Moundsville Volunteer Fire Department Chief Danny Holmes described the explosion as a fireball and said even responding fire crews had to act on the fly.

Gittins said putting the fire out could have caused another fireball and said this is a hazard of the drilling process. However, what actually caused the gas to ignite was not known Friday afternoon and remains under investigation.

Nearby residents are safe and none had to be evacuated. Nonetheless, witness Robert Hupp, who has live on Route 250 for 40 years, said the explosion was shocking.

"It's just unimaginable that something like this would happen. You know, drilling into those gas wells -- I thought it was a pretty safe procedure. Evidently it's not," Hupp said.

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