Inspection Detail

Inspection: 103435905 - Petroleum Engineers International Inc.

Inspection Information - Office: Baton Rouge Area Office

Inspection Nr: 103435905

Report ID: 0625700

Date Opened: 08/18/1994

Site Address:
Petroleum Engineers International Inc.
Nabors Rig #570, Off Hwy 87
Jeanerette, LA 70544

Mailing Address:
Po Box 52588, Lafayette, LA 70505

Union Status: NonUnion

SIC:8711

NAICS: 0

Inspection Type: Accident

Scope: Partial

Advanced Notice: Y

Ownership: Private

Safety/Health: Safety

Close Conference: 09/07/1994

Emphasis:

Case Closed: 02/07/1995

Related Activity
Type	Activity Nr	Safety	Health
Accident	361124753

Violation Summary
Violations/Penalties	Serious	Willful	Repeat	Other	Unclass	Total
Initial Violations	2					2
Current Violations	2					2
Initial Penalty	$900	$0	$0	$0	$0	$900
Current Penalty	$600	$0	$0	$0	$0	$600
FTA Penalty	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0

Violation Items
#	Citation ID	Citation Type	Standard Cited	Issuance Date	Abatement Due Date	Current Penalty	Initial Penalty	FTA Penalty	Contest	Latest Event	Note
1.	01001	Serious	19101200 E01	10/11/1994	11/20/1994	$300	$450	$0		I - Informal Settlement
2.	01002	Serious	19101200 H	10/11/1994	11/04/1994	$300	$450	$0		I - Informal Settlement

Investigation Summary

Investigation Nr: 170080162

Event: 08/16/1994

Employee dies when struck in head by vent pipe

At approximately 10:30 p.m. on August 16, 1994, Employee #1, a consultant engineer with Petroleum Engineers International, Inc., was operating a choke lever on a control unit which opened and closed the infeed lines to a degasser unit at Nabors' rig #570 near Jerrette, LA. Employee #1 and coworkers were trying to bleed off the pressure on the casing pipe in the hole. The casing pipe had been under 3,800 pounds of pressure throughout the course of the day, and the well had kicked. It was decided to use the degassing method to bleed off the pressure. As Employee #1 operated the lever, there was a sudden pressure surge down the line to the degasser equipment. The vent pipe, measuring 6 in. in diameter by 13 ft 4 in. long, blew off the degasser. It flew up in the air and came down, fatally striking the employee in the head. This equipment is used regularly on oil/gas rigs for the purpose of venting off the gas from the drilling head. Employee #1 had experience in working around this equipment. The vent pipe that blew off was screwed on as opposed to being welded onto the degasser apparatus.

Keywords: HEAD, VENTING, ELDERLY, PIPE, STRUCK BY, FLYING OBJECT, PRESSURE RELEASE

Investigated Inspection
#	Inspection	Age	Sex	Degree of Injury	Nature of Injury	Occupation
1	103435905			Fatality	Fracture	Occupation not reported

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