Fire
Effective Date: 3/24/1983
 | Minerals Management Service Gulf of Mexico OCS Region |
Notice No. 110
March 24, 1983
Fire
In the course of running 9-inch casing, a welder on the rig floor started tocut a casing box thread protector out of a joint of casing lying in the V-door.The welder's torch ignited gas which was migrating from the bell nipple, causinga flash fire which injured a casing crew member who was filling the hole withmud. The annular BOP was closed, and the fire was extinguished with the rig washdown hose.
To prevent recurrence of this type of accident, the operator has stronglyre-emphasized to drilling personnel those safety procedures which strictlyforbid carrying on hot work in the vicinity of an open well. Additionally, it isrecommended that gas sniffers be utilized to properly check hot work areas forcombustible gases.
[signed] D.W. Solanas
Regional Supervisor
Offshore Operations Support