Deep Injection Well in Texas Explodes, Injuring Three

UPDATE: This piece has been updated since our last post. The explosion occurred at a deep injection well, not during a fracking operation.
Our partners in Texas report on an explosion and fireat a deep well injection operation in Pearsall, Texas.
From StateImpact Texas:
On Thursday night a fire and explosion rocked a disposal well near Pearsall, Texas in the Eagle Ford Shale. This afternoon the Railroad Commission of Texas, which oversees drilling in the state. sent the following statement:

“A Railroad Commission inspector responded around 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 19, to a storage tank fire at a saltwater disposal facility operated by High Roller Well, LLC, south of Pearsall on State Highway 581, south of Pearsall. Preliminary information provided to the inspector indicates that while a truck was unloading saltwater with a skim of condensate (liquid hydrocarbons) into a collection tank, welders were working nearby and sparks from the welding may have ignited vapors around the storage tank, causing the explosion. A firewall around the storage tank site contained spilled fluids, which were picked up with by a vacuum truck.
No violations of RRC rules were found, and the High Roller Well LLC lease is in compliance with Commission rules. As injuries were reported in this incident, the lead investigating agency for this incident would be the federal agency, OSHA, which needs to be contacted for further information.”

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