Good Friday

 In observance of Good Friday, the Railroad Commission offices will be closed Friday, March 29, 2024. Staff will be on hand to respond to emergencies. Call toll-free at 844-773-0305.

 

2016-2019 Well Control Problems

A searchable and sort-able list

Click a column title to sort by that label, and open the green (+) button for more information on an incident.


District Date of Incident Operator Lease/Facility Name Lease/ID API # Drill Permit Well # Field Name County Fire H2S Industry (Injury) Industry (Death) Remarks
02 07/11/2019 Finger Oil & Gas, Inc. Drushel Lease 265227 239-33557   1 Carmichael (2500) Jackson N N 0 0 While pumping mud during plugging they encountered pressure. In the morning the well was blowing gas, sand and water.
8A 07/12/2019 Tabula Rasa Energy, LLC Seminole, East (San Andres) 60717     50 Seminole, East (San Andres) Gaines N Y 0 0 Evacuated residents and closed CR 107. Stuffing box blew out because BOP and rams had washed out.
02 07/04/2019 Mission River Systems, Inc.  Urbanczyk 180212 255-31175   1 Person (Edwards) Karnes N N 0 0 Oprphaned well pressured up. Replaced well heaad and remediated area.
02 5/28/2019 Capital Star Oil & Gas, Inc.  Bertha Anderson Gas Unit    285-34107 851949 4 Mont (Wilcox 10,900) Lavaca N N 0 0 while tripping back into the hole with a new drill bit near 5,100’ (Current TD at approximately 10,540’) the well took a slight kick.  
02 4/30/2019 38 Oil & Gas, L.L.C.  Rooke, P.H.  147018 391-03009   17 Refugio, New (2450) Refugio N N 0 0  EPC attempted to remove a bull plug from the master valve, but when they did, the tubing snapped of where the tubing was leaking. The well is now blowing fully open to the atmosphere. EPC will attempt to spear into the well and attempt to bullhead into the tubing to kill it with brine.
08 4/25/2019 Resolute Natural Res. Co., LLC  Ranger  283915 389-36240     Phantom (Wolfcamp) Reeves N Y 0 0  The industry incident occurred during workover operations. The BOP was being installed and the uncontrolled event occurred. Per the operator, there is no gas coming from the well, but RRC H2S Fields and Concentrations Listing states average concentration is 543ppm for the Phantom (Wolfcamp) Field. 
09 3/4/2019 Extech Operating, LLC  McDonald 33809 33735466   1 Newport, S.(Bend Congl.) Montague N N 0 0  The well head failed causing 2 joints of tubing and the well head to be blown into the crown of the rig.  Commission inspector Bill Hudson was dispatched to the site. 
02 2/23/2019 Enerquest Operating LLC  Roberts Lease  06893 255-31112   1 Edwards Karnes N Y 0 0  APPROXIMATELY 1300. SCOTT CAMPBELL FROM ENERQUEST OPERATING L.L.C. REPORTS BLOWOUT ON ROBERTS WELL #1. ADJACENT WELL NEXT TO ROBERTS LEASE REPORTEDLY PRESSURED UP ROBERTS #1 CASING BLOWING OFF GATE VALVE/BALLVALVE. 
08 2/12/2019 Kinder Morgan Production Co LLC  Yates Fiedl Unit 24061 371-34159   49A98 Yates Pecos  N Y 0 0  The cause of the blowout is unknown. Unknown volume of release at this time. H2S is present. Per RRC Mainframe, H-9 states 28000ppm H2S. Kinder Morgan has quartered off approximately a 1-mile radius, allowing access to only Kinder Morgan and RRC personnel. 
08 12/13/2018 Colgate Operating, LLC   King David MIPA Unit # 1H     830360 1H Phantom (Wolfcamp) Reeves N Y 0 0  The well has just been frac'd and is full of water. Kill plugs were set last night and were tested. Initially, the plugs held and the well was opened for a few hours. The flow was noticed at approximately 3:00 a.m. Per the operator, there is no gas coming from the well.
04 10/20/2018 Laredo Energy LLC Reuthinger   479-43946 837264 NO13H Hawkville (Eagleford Shale) Webb N N 0 0 DURING A SQUEZZE JOB THE PACKER GAVE OUT AND THE TIW VALVE GAVE OUT
08 10/16/2018 Sheridan Production Company, LLC  University Consolidated XII 23161 033-2389   44W Furhman-Mascho Andrews N Y 0 0 A mechanical failure on the wellhead of the UNIVERSITY CONSOLIDATED XII #44W caused produced water to come out of the wellhead at a high volume.  Per the operator there is no gas coming from the well, but our records show there is an H9 on this lease for 25000 ppm.
1/02 8/28/2018 Cinco Operating Company, LLC  Baty SWD  18065 127-33023   1 Pearsall (Austin Chalk) Dimmit N N 2 0 Operator put workover rig (Basic Energy Services) on well and bled pressure off the well. While working on removing the last bolts out of the wellhead flange, the well blew out.  
01/02 8/28/2018 Minexprod LLC  McCoy Blanding 26837 291-32878   1 Cleveland (Cockfield 5600) Liberty  N N 0 0 Received notification of a well blowout out the choke nipple past the wing valve on the “T” of the wellhead. The Operator has been flow testing the well the past few days into a tank. Well began blowing saltwater, crude, and gas out the wing valve which caused the choke nipple to cut out. The wing valve has been shut-in and the well is secured. Oil / Water ratio on well is estimated to be 97% : 3%. An unknown volume of fluids were released and are contained within a 20 ft by 15 ft area around the well. Local Fire Dept was notified but did not respond. 
03 7/20/2018 Verdun Oil & Gas LLC  Somme    477-31082 840935 1H Giddings (Austin Chalk-3) Washington N N 0 0 Operator was drilling at 9,000 feet and it took a kick. 
03 6/27/2018 Lewis Petro Properties, Inc.  Appling PSA B   283-36275 837042 21H Hawkville (Eagleford Shale) La Salle N N 0 0 While drilling out their frac plugs with coiled tubing, after the coiled tubing drilled Plug #21 at 13,920' and going down to Plug #22 which was 200 ft. further,  the well started blowing out at the flange between frac tree and transition spool at 5 1/8" 10M connection. 
01 6/14/2018 MDC Texas Operators  Runaway Ghost    389-37120 839623 1HM Phantom (Wolfcamp) Reeves  Y N 0 0 it is suspected that he spud rig, used to set conductor or surface pipe, tapped a shallow localized gas pocket.  The district office is monitoring the situation.  
08 4/19/2018 Foothills Texas, Inc.  Simms-Schilling  1799 201-31755   48 Goose Creek  Harris N N 0 0 During normal injection operations, the larken head was observed to be leaking at the seal of the production casing and tubing. Salt water and sand was found releasing and impacting the surrounding location. 
03 3/18/2018 EOG Resources  Baker Deforest Unit  16046 177-32474   12H Eagleville (Eagle Ford -1) Gonzales Y N 0 0 Unknown cause of fire, fire is emanating from wellhead from an unknown orifice. An automated pneumatic shutoff wing valve was successfully closed, isolating the well from production facility down stream. At least three (3) nearby families have been evacuated out of an abundance of caution and put up in hotels for the night, but there is no known immediate threat to the general public. 
01/02 1/26/2018 EOG Resources  Cooper Unit    255-35599 830285 2H Eagleville (Eagle Ford- 2) Karnes  N N 0 0  EOG finished frac'ing and running tubing in hole when well "kicked'.  The packer gave way and pressure was received  at the surface.   
01/02 1/19/2018 Southern Exploration, Inc.  Block 7   009-73124 833718 1 Archer county regular Archer  N N 0 0 The well site geologist was on the shale shaker waiting to catch samples when the mud flow increased rapidly and started blowing oil and gas cut mud up through the rotary table about 40' up in the derrick. Rig personnel closed the blow out preventer after approximately 20 minutes. 
09 12/1/2017 South Oil, Inc.  Wilmeth B 19042 163-33832   1 Pearsall (Buda Lime) Frio  N N 0 0 South Oil, Inc was testing the well when pressure had developed and the packing on the stuffing box failed, causing the release of gas and produced fluids sometime on the morning of 12/20/17.  There were no injuries, however as a precaution the section of Hwy 85 nearest to the well was closed off.
01 12/18/2017 Devon Energy Production Co, LP  Slay, C.W. (AW)   439-37135 829994 18H Newark, East (Barnett Shale) Tarrant  N N 0 0 Devon Energy Reported an acid flowback to surface through a stuck/broke valve. 
5 12/7/2017 Occidental Permian, Ltd.  Anton-Irish Clearfork Unit           Hale N Y 0 0 At approximately 4:30 pm, the stripper rubbers failed on the BOP causing the uncontrolled release of CO2 and approximately 5 barrels of produced water. H2S monitors and personnel were set up in the area during the release
08/8A 12/6/2017 IWR Operating   Panther Exploration    157-33230 831853 1 Blue Ridge Fort Bend N N 0 0 Operator reported that they are experiencing well fluid control issues.  The surface casing was successfully set and cement circulated to surface.  However, while drilling to TD, operator encountered gas pocket and incurred a kick which has allowed well to begin blowing gas, oil, water, and drilling fluids.  
03 9/7/2017 Hilcorp Energy Company  West Ranch (41-A/98-A Cons) 386310 239-33653   2119 West Ranch (41-A & 98-A Cons)  Jackson  N N 0 0 A workover rig was on the well on 9/6/2017, the tubing was unseated and pulled from the permanent packer in the well and tubing was hung off of annular BOP stack, then shut-in overnight. Overnight, apparently the annular BOP rams failed and the tubing dropped, causing well fluids to flow to the surface. The blowout took place at approximately 0230 on Sept. 7, 2017. The well is in a CO2 injection field and CO2 with some water is believed to be the fluid that is spraying out.  Less than one barrel of fluid is on the ground.
02 7/21/2017 NBL Permian LLC  Howard State 2-25-8 45383 389-33385   1 Wolfbone (Trend Area) Reeves  N N 0 0 An uncontrolled well situation was not reported at the time, only a spill. Glenn Gainey inspected the well and it is currently spewing gas   through a flange on the wellhead. Pressure at the wellhead is unknown. Some fluid has pooled on location. Boots and Coots is on location now with 400 bbl of 12.5 ppg mud. NBL has set up a safety corridor around the well. Total Safety is on location as well. Boots and coots plans to kill the well around 3:00 pm today.   
8 7/13/2017 Parsley Energy Operations, LLC  Paige   383-39785 821002 12A-13A Spraberry (Trend Area) Reagan  N N 0 0 Workover rig was going in the hole with tubing and stacked out hard on bottom and bent tubing where the crew could not close the BOP. At that time the well started to blow oil and gas
7C 6/6/2017 Karbuhn Oil Company  Pogo Fee  17935 245-31735   1 Herbert (h-3) Jefferson  N Y 0 0 They had produced water leaking into the cellar and had what appeared to be communication between their casing strings. Sent notification to RRC inspector Carroll Mayfield to inspect the well. Mr. Mayfield noted that the well was leaking about 30-bbls of produced water an hour and a small amount of gas. Karbuhn had contracted Cudd Pressure Control to kill the well. 
3 5/16/2017 Cummins & Walker Oil Co. Inc.  Welder, M.S. Est.  172091 469-33366   3 Lonnie Glasscock (Oakville, LO.) Victoria N N 0 0 During workover the wellhead and tubing were in poor codition and remedial work worsened the condition casusing a total loss of the wellhead. 
2 4/20/2017 Hilcorp Energy Company Baer-Franklin   321-32403 821323 2 Bear Ranch (Tex-Miss Cons) Matagorda N N 0 0 Well finished drilling and during flow testing a loss of control occurred.
3 4/19/2017 Fengolio Oil Company Cone, Rachel Lease  30293 337-33232   5 Newark, East (Barnett Shale) Montague N N 0 0 The Tubing broke at the well head during the inspection. Well began to flow
9 3/14/2017 Occidental Permian LTD.  Anton-Irish Clearfork Unit   189-00165 304 65W Anton-Irish Hale N N 0 0 an uncontrolled well from a workover that had produced water and water based drill mud going into a dry Playa lake.  Well No. 65W lost control on March 14, 2017 at noon for about 24 hours when the nipple broke on the wellhead during a workover where they were pumping mud downhole.  Well No. 65W is a CO2/Water injection well.  They pumped 14 ppg mud to kill the well and then replaced the nipple.  The well is under control now. They are preparing to replace the wellhead and run the packer and get an H-5 test.  The amount of fluid lost was 5000 barrels (bbl.) including both water and mud.  They had recovered at the time of the call 1590 bbls of the both water and drill mud and were still recovering.  
8A 1/21/2017 Anadarko E&P Onshore LLC Silvertip 76-17 P    301-32904 815363 1H Phantom (Wolfcamp) Loving  N N 0 0 Well had an incident during facture stimulation. 
8 1/3/2017 Le Norman Operating War Admiral 8   211-35556 821234 3H Hemphill (Douglas)  Hemphill N N 0 0 While drilling the well started receiving gas kicks
10 12/28/2016 H-M Resource Management, Inc.  Anderson Lucrese 209012 481-34733   8 Egypt (3800)  Wharton N N 0 0 Operator attempting to plug well and pulled the packer lose when well came in. 
03 12/6/2016 Gordy Oil Company  Johnston, H.B.    291-32899 820395 1 Hardin, South (Wilcox 12700)  Liberty N N 4 0 Well was leaking gas. Injury occurred when metal plate blew off the top of the dry hole tree. 
03 11/10/2016 Forge Energy, LLC  Monument A28-6    165-38419 817236 1H Tex-Mex, SE (Wichita Albany)  Gaines  N N 0 0 During the 14th stage of a 21 stage frac the production casing moved up hole several feet at the same time the surface casing failed.  The production casing and frac stack then fell over
08 11/8/2016 Enwater Operating, LLC  Easy Jet  46873 389-34742   1 Collie (Delaware) Reeves  N Y 0 0 Increase in volume caused the uncontrolled release. 
08 10/19/2016 Pearl Resources Operationg Co.  Garnet State    371-39426 818111 4 Wolfbone (Trend Area) Pecos N Y 0 0 Unprepared to hit a heavy flow while drilling. 
08 10/24/2016 Enervest Operating LLC  Childrens Home 2   483-33092 265280 4H Frye Ranch (consolidated)  Wheeler  N N 0 0 Well is being worked over and had wellhead removed when well kicked and blew out. 
10 10/17/2016 Three Rivers  Ladybird SWD    109-32953 815536 1 Ford, West (Wolfcamp)  Culberson N Y 0 0 There is already surface casing 13 3/8” @ 558’ & circ, they TD’d at 2775’ and was going to run intermediate 9 5/8” when the stripping rubber failed inside the casing shoe.  The operator had an uncontrolled flow with H2S and also a spot 150’ north of the rig started flowing water with H2S also.
08 9/30/2016 Lamay Corporation  State Tract 117  58974 007-30101   1 Bartell Pass (Frio M)  Aransas  N N 0 0 well leaking dry gas into the atmosphere. The leaking well was reported to the TGLO by a boater in Aransas Bay. 
04 9/24/2016 Kinder Morgan Production Co LLC Goldsmith-Landreth/San Andres unit    135-43426 817824 201AW Goldsmith  Ector  N Y 0 0 new drillwell going uncontrolled starting at 1 am on September 24, 2016.  They had shut down W Scharbauer Street which is about 800’ north of the well.  Kinder Morgan had Wild Well Control contacted and heading there.
08 9/20/2016 Cabot Oil & Gas Corporation  Weldon Shcorp-prickly pear unit  271065 163-33670     Indio Tanks (Pearsall)  Frio  N N 0 0 Producing well (no active work was being performed on well at time of discovery) developed uncontrolled leak of dry gas in KTH flange at slips.
01 7/13/2016 Lone Star NGL Mont Belvieu  Central Terminal Lease  12081     1 Salt dome storage  Chambers  N N 0 0 Leaking salt dome. 
03 7/6/2016 Cross Timbers Energy, LLC  Penwell Unit  23007 135-01481   2388W Penwell  Ector N Y 0 0 uncontrolled gas release from an unknown source breaking out to the surface from the outside of the surface casing of the above well. 
08 7/1/2016 EOG Resources, Inc.  Kleberg, RJ TR Stillman 258933 261-31544   505 Tordilla (Deep Cons.)  Kenedy  N N 0 0 During plugging operations, while attempting to cut and pull with casing jacks the 7-5/8” intermediated casing from approximately 50’ below the surface casing shoe depth (2,516’), the weld between the pulling nipple and the casing broke and the well began to flow. The well was full with 9.5-ppg plugging mud for well control purposes. The well flowed mud, followed by produced water for approximately one hour, until the flowing pressure had decreased enough that the pulling tools could be laid down, and the casinghead and master valve could be bolted back onto the wellhead. The shut-in wellhead pressure was 50-psi and the well is now under control.
04 6/29/2016 Enerquest Operating, LLC  Brysch  258318 255-00718   1 Panna Maria (Edwards)  Karnes  N Y 0 0 it appears that during one of Encana’s frac jobs the pump jack on the Brysch #1 locked up and casing pressure increased on the Brysch #1, causing significant increase of water production into tanks, ultimately compromising the stuffing box seals, and water is now leaking through the stuffing box into the air and onto the ground. Enerquest personnel are not able to bring the well under control. Encana has agreed to take over kill operations of the well and is currently moving equipment onto location to perform top-down bullhead kill operation with oil-based mud. Encana states no elevated H2S levels have been detected thus far. H-9 on file from Enerquest shows H2S concentration at 25,600 ppm at 500 mcf/day. Both 100 ppm and 500 ppm ROE do not contain a public area or a public road. At least one nearby house has been evacuated as a precautionary measure.  County Sheriff is controlling roadway, no shutdown of any public roads yet.
01/02 6/26/2016 Equistar Chemicals, LP  Equistar Chemicals, LP  10752 071-81605   7 Barbers Hill (Storage Cavern) Chambers Y N 0 0 pressurized cavern storage well in which communication to the surface has been observed. 
03 6/2/2016 XTO Energy Inc.  Cordona Lake Consolidated 20582 103-32391   62W Cordona Lake  Crane N N 0 0 The top section of the wellhead fell off due to a faulty wellhead per XTO. CO2 is blowing up approximately 20’ into the air with some produced water being released. XTO has well control equipment in route via a third party well control company. H2S and lower explosive limit (LEL) monitors have been placed around the location. None has been detected. The location is under 24 hour supervision. Well control operations are to begin tomorrow morning. Well is located at or near Juan Cordona Lake shoreline, an intermittent or salt lake, which currently contains water.
08 5/3/2016 Mesa Operating, LLC  Jimmy Marshall    307-31187 813672 2 Lohn (Strawn 900)  McCulloch 0 0 Well blowing mud ~ 7 ft. above the rig floor, with mud around the well bore. They were pulling out of the hole preparing to RIH with casing. TD of the well is 994’. There is 450 of drill collars in the hole with a wiper rubber on the drill pipe. Southwest fluids from Abilene is on location with additional mud to kill the well. Well is located ~ 150’ north of CR 504. This is a single string completion. The cementers and casing are on location.
7C 4/6/2016 Apache Corporation Magpie Unit    301-32807 812057   Phantom (Wolfcamp) Loving  N N 0 0 completed, frac'd, and was blowing the well down when it plugged up. They currently have a rig on well that had been working to unplug the well. The BOP's are shut and the well is blowing out through a connection that failed below the BOP's.
08 4/2/2016 Occidental Permian LTD Gains Wasson Clearfork Unit  63524 165-00783   6513W Wasson 72 Gaines  N N 0 0 Truck hit an injection line, causing the tubing to split above the wellhead on the water injection well. The water blew above the top of the tubing until a rig was moved in. 
8A 3/28/2016 Energy Transfer Company Fields 57629 237-30616   13 Bryson, South (Strawn 1700) Jack  N N 0 0 .  A joint of 2 3/8” tubing that was in the  well shot up thru the derrick floor and landed approximately 15' from floor and stuck in to the ground.  Rig crew hands were able to shut blind rams on Blow Out Preventer (BOP) with pipe wrenches to gain control of the well.  Well was out of control for approximately 10 minutes. NO INJURIES were sustained by anyone.  
09 3/5/2016 Chisholm Operating, Inc.  Baugh  19163 413-00444     Baugh (Strawn)  Schleicher N N 0 0 Heater treater pop-off valve did not reset making dump valves inoperable. Fluid began to run out of the top of the heater treater.