4 Corners Safety Network

“Ignition device found at well location in the Bloomfield, NM area today”

“The following are preliminary details regarding the discovery of an ignition device located at a well site area today in San Juan County, NM.

At 0804 hours today the Sheriff's Office was notified by a lease operator who had arrived on a location to check the compressor. While examining the equipment he found what looked like a wire that had been connected to the ignition coil. He traced this wire back to the area of the well head where he observed that an ignition device consisting of a spark plug and other material had been attached to the production pipe. He also observed that the casing valve in this immediate area had been opened. He backed off and made notification.

The components of this device have been removed and are being examined by EOD technicians from the Farmington Police Department. The Federal agencies having jurisdiction have been notified and will be involved in the ensuing investigation.

It appears that there were no explosive materials involved in the placing of this device and that it's purpose was likely to ignite the gas from the well itself. It is not known at this time who is responsible or why this device was placed.

Please advise your personnel in the field to be especially vigilant of anything that looks out of place or strange. If anything suspicious is seen please have them call San Juan County dispatch at (505) 334-6622 or 911 if an emergency exists. As always I can be reached at the Rural Crimes Initiative at (505) 632-6352.

Mike Sindelar, Investigator
San Juan County Sheriff-Rural Crimes Initiative”

“As additional information becomes available it will be posted here on the FCSN web page.”

IADC Alerts:

FATAL INCIDENT WORKER CAUGHT BETWEEN OUTRIGGER AND CHASSIS OF CRANE

DROPPED OBJECT (CASING) HIGH POTENTIAL NEAR MISS

DROPPED OBJECT: THERMAL TREE CAP (TEA COSY) FALLS RESULTING IN FATALITY

FAILURE OF BACK FLOW VALVE DURING NITROGEN FOAM FRAC RESULTS IN A FATALITY

Alerts

Moving Equipment Around Utility Lines
In the past year, the Oil & Gas Industry within New Mexico and Colorado has experienced a number of serious incidents involving mobile equipment contacting High Voltage Overhead Power Lines. read more...

UNSECURED LOAD RESULTS IN AN INJURED EMPLOYEE
ALERT 08 – 09 UNSECURED LOAD RESULTS IN AN INJURED EMPLOYEE read more...

DROPPED STRING – HIGH POTENTIAL INCIDENT RESULTS FROM
While laying down 5" drill pipe the crew proceeded until there were 3 stands in the well. The Company Man stopped the operation and instructed the drill crew to use the cementing unit pump to conduct an integrity test on the cement plug and casing against the BOP top pipe rams. read more...

Operator Communications

Keeping the Gas in the Pipe
Over the past few months, a number of incidents have occurred in the basin in which wellsite piping and pipeline tie-ins have been struck by vehicles, resulting in uncontrolled gas releases. Fortunately, none of these have ignited or resulted in injury to anyone but, if they continue, it is obviously just a matter of time until a release finds an ignition source. As a result, I would like to make sure everyone is aware of expectations relative to the vehicle paths on BP locations. Due to the variety of wellsite and road layouts, no single set of “rules” can be put in place but, rather, a set of guiding principles can be applied to the way we conduct ourselves. Check it out! read more...

Incidents

Static Causes Fire
A fire and series of explosions occurred in a chemical distribution facility. The fire started in a packaging area while a 300-gallon portable steel tank (a “tote”) was being filled with ethyl acetate, a flammable material (figure). read more...

Man crushed by falling BOP
Rig hands were preparing an adaptor spool for mounting a single BOP. read more...

Well Control Incident - RBP
What can happen when you unset a retrievable bridge plug and don’t have enough weight above it? read more...

Pulsation Dampener Incident
A pulsation dampener was about to be lifted into position on a mudpump... read more...