A crew was conducting well kill operations on a sweet oil well. A worker was monitoring the return flow to the service rig trough from on top of the rig tank. When the returns became gassier, the return flow was opened to the degasser section of the rig tank and the trough flow was pinched in slightly. The rig manager proceeded to the top of the rig tank stairs where his personal gas monitor immediately began to alarm on high LEL (lower explosive limit). The rig manager looked up to observe both the rig tank and the worker on the rig tank being engulfed in flames. The worker standing on top of the rig tank jumped over the handrail to the ground, and suffered a broken hand from the landing. The flash fire resulted in minor burns to the worker’s face, chest, back and thighs, and extensive burns to the forearms which required skin grafting surgery and 18 days in the hospital. The rig manager jumped off the stairs and was not injured in the event. Ignition source was determined to be a poorly terminated electrical livestock control fence “jumper” wire on the perimeter fencing. CLICK on image below for the full alert from ENFORM.
