--UPDATE: 8/22/12--
The Department of Environmental Protection said a new drilling rig was delivered to the Antero Resources site Wednesday afternoon to replace the rig that was damaged in the fire.
The Office of Oil and Gas has cited Antero for "failure to maintain well control."
It said the penalty for that violation is still under review and that Antero may restart "normal operations" at the site in two to three days.
--UPDATE: 8/21/12--
The Department of Environmental Protection's Office of Oil and Gas has delayed the reopening of a Harrison County well site following a well fire, last week that injured three workers.
The Office of Oil and Gas has ordered Antero Resources to test nearby water wells.
The office said it expects a replacement rig to be delivered this week and that the rig will help determine what caused the explosion.
It said the drillers may have hit an undocumented coal seam.
--UPDATE: 8/20/12.--
The Office of Oil and Gas through the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection said all three workers were released from the hospital, following Friday morning's well explosion and subsequent fire.
The Office of Oil and Gas is not releasing the names of the victims at this time and could not comment further on their conditions.
It also said it believes a new rig will be delivered to the well site on Shaws Run Road on Tuesday afternoon. The rig was damaged in Friday's incident.
David Belcher, Assistant Chief for the Office of Oil and Gas, told 12 News his office is currently reviewing Antero's materials and proposals to regain control of the well site and to continue working at the site. Belcher said it is possible that proposal could be granted as early as Tuesday.
Neither Hall Drilling nor Antero Resources were cited for any violations by the WV DEP as of Monday afternoon. The DEP said it is not ruling out the possibility of issuing citations related to the incident.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration said it has six months to investigate the matter. It said OSHA violations will be issued if hazards that are not in compliance with the OSHA Act are discovered.
--UPDATE: 5:07 p.m.--
Thomas J. Aluise, of the WV DEP Office of Oil and Gas released this statement Friday afternoon:
"We will issue an order today telling Antero that all well work, other than procedures needed to make sure the site remains stable, must cease on the site. We have not issued any violations yet."
To view the order issued to Antero, click on the link to the right of the story.
--UPDATE: 2:25 p.m.--
Antero's Vice President, Alvyn Schopp, said the two men who were flown to West Penn Burn Center are in stable condition.
He said Antero will not release the victims' names, and is leaving that option to Hall Drilling or the victims themselves. Schopp said this is a "rare occurrence at this stage of the drilling process." Drillers were just under 500 feet deep when the explosion occurred.
The site is currently closed, and it is still unclear when it will be back up and running. Schopp said Antero representatives are currently on site conducting their own investigation. Schopp said he is not aware of any violations Antero may face.
--UPDATE: 2:05 p.m.--
The West Virginia DEP Office of Oil and Gas said the methane burned off immediately. The field inspector said workers were not exposed to or poisoned by methane gas.
--UPDATE: 12:29 p.m.--
The West Virginia Oil & Natural Gas Association forwarded 12 News to Antero Resources for comment.
12 News is still waiting to hear back from Antero Resources.
--ORIGINAL STORY--
An explosion at a well site in Harrison County injured three workers early Friday morning.
Two workers were flown to West Penn Burn Center with serious injuries from a well site near Sycamore Road and are currently in stable condition. One was transported to United Hospital Center, and later released and reportedly back to work.
The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection Office of Oil and Gas is the lead investigating unit for the incident and said the injuries are not believed to be "life threatening" at this time.
Bryan Harris, field inspector for the Office of Oil and Gas, tells 12 News the site is operated by Hall Drilling through Antero Resources. The site is still closed. It is unclear when or if it will be reopened.
According to Harris, violations are pending. Harris said it is possible workers hit a pocket of methane gas, causing the explosion. Crews were preparing to install freshwater casing and were removing a drill bit when the explosion occurred just before 4:30 a.m. According to a statement released by Hall Drilling, the "well was drilled to roughly 480 feet when an unknown source of natural gas escaped out of the hole and ignited." The company said the fire was put out in 20 minutes.
The incident is still under investigation, and the WV DEP is not releasing the names of victims at this time.
The Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) also sent an inspector to the site Friday morning.
Antero Resources has not yet returned our request for comment.
Hall Drilling released this statement about the incident Friday morning:
"At 4:00 a.m. on Friday August 17th, 2012, Hall Drilling, LLC was drilling near Sycamore Road in Harrison County. The rig was drilling a natural gas well and had drilled to approximately 480 feet when an unknown source of natural gas escaped out of the hole, which ignited. It burned for approximately 20 minutes before the fire was extinguished. Reynoldsville and Nutter Fork Fire Departments assisted. Three employees were injured, two of which were life-flighted to Pittsburgh and are in stable condition. The other employee was transported to UHC in Clarksburg and has already returned to work. We value the safety and protection of our employees and are making every effort to address the needs of the injured parties and their families. Hall Drilling, LLC would like to thank the Reynoldsville and Nutter Fork Fire Departments and the local EMS Squads for their prompt response."
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