Fire -- Men Burned
Effective Date: 9/10/1979
 | Minerals Management Service Gulf of Mexico OCS Region |
Notice No. 088
September 10, 1979
OCS Operations Safety Alert
Fire -- Men Burned
A flash fire occurred recently on an offshore drilling tender when gas escaped in the cementing room and was ignited by a person lighting a cigarette.
A kill line from the cementing pump was connected to a well on the platform in order to pump into the well and equalize the pressure across a closed sub-surface safety valve. Two men in the cementing room were filling a pump tank when the choke and wing valve on the well were opened. This permitted gas pressure from the well to flow through the kill line to the pump and out an open pump bleed-off valve into the room. One of the men lit a cigarette and a flash fire occurred.
The two men received burns on 20% to 30% of their bodies. There was only minor damage to the cementing room.
To prevent a recurrence of the accident the operator is taking the following action:
1. Rig pump rooms will be posted to prohibit smoking.
2. Gas detectors will be installed in enclosed pump rooms.
3. The cementing system manifold on the rig floor will be modified by adding a block valve with gauges on either side to permit positive control for equalizing when pumping into a well.
4. A check valve will be required in the system when pumping into a live well.
[signed] D.W. Solanas
Oil and Gas Supervisor
Operations Support
Gulf of Mexico Area