Oilfield Accidents Archives

Dangers of Rigging Up and Down

Posted on January 22, 2022July 11, 2022

Danger in the oilfields doesn’t start when the drillbit hits the dirt. Hazards arrive on the well pad as soon as the set-up crews do. Rigging up is the drilling rig assembly process, which includes building the substructure; erecting the mast or lifting the derrick; installing power generation, fluid filtration, and pumping systems; and planting […]

Importance of Pop-Off Valves For Pipeline Workers

Posted on January 3, 2022July 11, 2022

Overview of Pop-Off Valves Working in the oil industry is a high-pressure occupation, especially for pipeline workers who literally work with the high-pressure systems that move oil out of the earth and into commerce. If you work within the oil industry, you likely know well what a pop-off valve is and what its purpose is. […]

How Long Do Workers Stay on Oil Rigs?

Posted on December 31, 2021July 11, 2022

Working on an offshore oil rig is one of the most dangerous jobs that a person can undertake. However, there are numerous benefits to these positions. Even an entry-level oil rig worker can earn between $47,000 and $80,000 each year. Electricians, installation managers, and other higher-level positions can make between $83,000 and $160,000 per year. […]

The Danger of Catastrophic Well Blowouts

Posted on August 18, 2021July 11, 2022

Beneath the crisscrossing latticework of an oil derrick, the threat of catastrophic well failure always looms. Perhaps the most feared of all oilfield accidents is the unanticipated well blowout, which can have catastrophic, deadly consequences. Many different oil workers across Texas put themselves at risk every day they go to work. They put their health […]

Oil and gas transportation risky for Texas drivers

Posted on November 13, 2020July 11, 2022

Whether you travel on rural roads or on major highways, there’s a good chance that you occasionally cross paths with oil or gas transportation trucks. These massive vehicles, sometimes referred to as tankers, allow for the quick and controlled transportation of either crude or refined petroleum products without the risks and set-up costs inherent in […]

Corpus Christi explosion in the refinery district

Posted on August 21, 2020July 11, 2022

Wyatt Law Firm, PLLC., a Texas based law firm, extends our sincerest condolences to the victims and the families of the victims of the refinery explosion in Corpus Christi, Texas. The fire occurred shortly after 8:00 AM near Nueces Bay, according to the Associated Press, in an area referred to as “refinery row,” due to […]

We can help victims and families of the Burleson County oil well explosion

Posted on January 30, 2020July 11, 2022

Wyatt Law Firm, a Texas based law firm, extends our sincerest condolences to the victims and the families of the victims of the oil well blowout in Burleson County, Texas on January 29, 2020. We are here to help and can be reached at 210-340-5550, or 210-340-5502. Right now, while you are picking up the […]

Hydrogen Sulfide: Deadly Toxin Profile

Posted on January 14, 2020July 11, 2022

What is it? Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S) is an extremely toxic gas produced naturally from decaying biomass. Though H2S irritates the throat and eyes, its giveaway quality is its smell: a rank, rotten-egg odor that has earned this gas several nasty nicknames including “sewer gas” and “stink damp.” Who is at risk? How does it affect […]

Surviving a Hydrogen Sulfide Emergency

Posted on January 14, 2020July 11, 2022

Ask Texas oil workers and you’ll hear it from them: hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is the bogeyman in drilling. More than just offensive to the nostrils with its rotten-egg odor, hydrogen sulfide is extremely toxic, highly flammable, and very corrosive to metal. Sadly, it also causes permanent debilitation and fatalities in the oilfields every year. Fortunately, […]

Cheap Drilling Mud = Well Failure, or Worse

Posted on September 2, 2019July 11, 2022

In January of 2018, a surge of gas ignited and caused an oilfield fire that killed five men on a drilling rig near Quinton, Oklahoma. A following lawsuit alleged the deadly blowout was preventable: Red Mountain Energy, the owner and operator of the well, used a lighter drilling mud than recommended by experts. Why the cheaper […]