Gas Well Fire During Hydraulic Fracturing Destroys Eight Tractor-Trailer Rigs

Gas Well Fire During Hydraulic Fracturing Destroys Eight Tractor-Trailer Rigs

What is it with Chesapeake Energy and hydraulic fracturing accidents? I wonder if Schlumberger was the fracking company. The “contractor” was finishing up the frack job when “one of the blender trucks caught on fire.”

Preliminary reports, however, indicated that eight tractor-trailer rigs were destroyed along with pumps and other pieces of equipment associated with the “frac” process of the drilling operation, Jones said.

Tim Jones is with the Johnson County Sheriff’s Department.

An interesting note from the Star-Telegram article:

Jones said the fire was originally reported as a vehicle fire.

Nice try…

UPDATE: Thank you to Jerry Lobdill for this Wise Eyes alert:

Wise Eyes Alert

Chesapeake Gas Well Fire

Sheriff Alford reports, on September 1, 2009 the Johnson County Sheriffs Office received a 911 call at 11:15 PM regarding a vehicle fire located in the 3200 block of County Road 913 Joshua Texas. The first responding Sheriff’s Office unit arrived on scene shortly thereafter and met the well site workers at the entrance to the Chesapeake well site. The well site supervisor on the scene reported the equipment used in the Frac process had caught on fire. The supervisor further stated all employees on site were accounted for, and there were no injuries. Four Johnson County Sheriff’s Office units responded to the scene of the fire.

The well site is operated by Chesapeake, however the fire and equipment which was damaged was owned and being operated by a sub-contractor, Liberty Pressure Pumping L.P. The equipment destroyed is used in the Frac process of natural gas wells. Liberty Pressure Pumping L.P. spokesman Brad Brooks reports that a preliminary estimate of equipment loss is $8,310,000.00 with additional costs as an inventory is completed. Initial reports from the company indicate that the fire appears to have started in the vicinity of a piece of equipment called a Blender.
Sheriff’s Office personnel were assisted by 10 local fire departments as listed below.

Briar Oaks Fire Department
Joshua Fire Department
Joshua Tanker
Mid-North Fire Department
Godley Fire Department
Godley Tanker
Cleburne Fire Department
Burleson Fire Department
Tarrant County Fire Department
Bono Fire Department

Wise Eyes participants are encouraged to share all Wise Eyes Alerts with friends and neighbors. Anyone wanting to receive the Wise Eyes Alerts, should E-Mail Wise Eyes at wiseeyes@johnsoncountytx.org and ask to be placed on the E-Mail list. Please provide your name and either your address or the Johnson County precinct in which you live.

Sgt. Tom Hargrave
Johnson County Sheriff’s Office
Training Coordinator
Crime Stoppers / Crime Prevention
Community Services Deputy
1102 E. Kilpatrick
Cleburne, Tx. 76031
Office 817.556.6058 ext 255
Fax 817.556.3441

“No man in the wrong, can stand against a man in the right, who keeps on a comin'”
Capt. Bill McDonald
Texas Ranger