Asbestos in drilling mud causes mesothelioma cancer

Since 2009, I’ve been trying to tell people that drilling mud and other fluids contain asbestos.

Here is another lawsuit where an oilfield worker was harmed from the asbestos in drilling mud.

From 1963 through 1984, Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LP, successor-in-interest to ConocoPhillips Company, formerly known as Phillips Petroleum Company and now referred to as CPChem, manufactured a product called Flosal.

Flosal contained 85 to 95 percent asbestos and was used as an additive to increase the viscosity of drilling mud fluids.

Troy Lofton worked in the oilfields from 1964 to 1983 as a floorhand, mixing drilling mud and now he suffers from asbestosis a lung disease caused from breathing in asbestos fibers.

In May 2004, he filed suit against CPChem and Phillips 66 Company, formerly doing business as Drilling Specialties Company, alleging two theories of product liability — design defect and inadequate warning — as well as claims for intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress.

The jury awarded Lofton $15,200,000 in total damages.

CPChem filed some motions trying to weasel out but the motions were denied.

CPChem then appealed to the Miss. SC and they ordered a new trial because CPChem’s expert pulmonologist had not reviewed documents from Lofton’s work history indicating the amount of asbestos he was exposed to.

If a company plans on drilling 20+ wells as Hillwood had planned for their pad site across the street from Argyle High School, that means people and animals in the area could be exposed to asbestos + silica sand + a cocktail of 65 or so toxic chemicals in the air on an ongoing basis for quite a while–maybe their entire 3 years in high school. Raise your hand if you want your children exposed to asbestos?

Just to recap on the 65 different chemicals:

Parents voice health concerns
Gas drilling near Argyle schools making kids ill, residents tell board
Sunday, October 24, 2010
By Lowell Brown and Britney Tabor / Staff Writers

Baseline testing when drilling was just getting started in Argyle showed 7 detects of the 84 chemicals  typically tested for by TCEQ. Follow up testing on the lot where the high school band practices showed 65 detects of the 84 chemicals typically tested for by TCEQ. (Flowback: How the Texas Natural Gas Boom Affects Health and Safety) The lot is 1/2 mile from the offending facility.

I have asked many scientists this question: What is the additional risk to our children when they go from breathing 7 chemicals to a cocktail of 65 chemicals. To date, no one has been able to answer with anything besides, “We don’t know.”

Here is a video I took in February 2009 of emissions from hot drilling mud. I was just mesmerized by watching all those vapors.

Oh, and don’t forget that they landfarm drilling mud when they are done with it. When the wind blows, there is no telling where that asbestos might end up.

UPDATE: Here is an MSDS sheet for Flosal. Visbestos is another brand name used in drilling mud.