Inspection Detail

Inspection: 307002519 - Pool Company Texas Ltd.

Inspection Information - Office: Lubbock Area Office

Investigation Summary

Employee #1 and three coworkers were "tripping pipe" (pulling pipe from a hole being drilled, or pulling the drill string out of a wellbore and then running it back in). The first coworker was the operator, the second coworker was the crew chief, Employee #1 was the floorhand, and the third coworker was the derrick man. The first and third coworkers normally worked on a different rig and were helping out on the day of the accident, which was the first day they had worked on this rig. Employee #1 had been operating the rig pulling pipe. He had been told there were 142 joints of pipe in the hole. The slips kept vibrating, so Employee #1 chained the slips to the work platform. After approximately 120 joints had been removed and the job of pulling pipes was nearing completion, the first coworker went to town to get some oil saver brakes. On this job, pipe was pulled from the hole two joints at a time. When two joints were pulled from the hole, the slips were set, and the floorhand secured the tongs and unscrewed the pipe. The derrick man placed the two joints into the pipe rack and released the traveling block from the pipe, and then the operator lowered the traveling block. When the traveling block reached the floor, the floor hand attached the pipe that was secured by the slips to the traveling block. The slips were released, and the traveling block was raised again until another two joints of pipe were out of the hole. The second coworker, the crew chief, took over operating the rig, which was his normal position. Before his departure, the first coworker had reminded the second coworker to remove the chains from the slips before the last joint of pipe was removed. The second coworker miscounted the pipe segments in the stands and began pulling the remaining pipe from the hole. When the last joint of pipe was pulled from the hole, it was a single pipe. The second coworker did not realize this was the last joint, as he had miscounted the number of pipes when he took over. He accordingly did not reduce the speed, as he thought there was more pipe in the hole. The pipe came up with the drill bit was attached, but the big was too large to go through the slips. Because the slips were chained to the floor and the second coworker had not slowed down the traveling block, the drill bit hit the slips with enough force to upset the work platform, throwing Employee #1 from the floor. He landed approximately 33 feet from the platform, on his side, and with his face in the ground. The second coworker saw Employee #1 on the ground and rushed to his aid. Employee #1 was bleeding from his ears, nose, and mouth. The second coworker turned Employee #1's head to get it out of the dirt and assist in his breathing. Emergency aid was called by another company's employee. The third coworker waited at the road to direct the ambulance upon arrival. Employee #1 was pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital.

Keywords: FRACTURE, MAINTENANCE, DRILL OPERATOR, STRUCK AGAINST, JAMMED, DRILL RIG--NON-OIL, NECK, OIL WELL SERVICING, OIL RIG, OVERTURN