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Accident: 200551406 - Employee Killed In Gas Well Explosion

Accident: 200551406 -- Report ID: 0625700 -- Event Date: 05/30/2000
InspectionOpen DateSICEstablishment Name
30308127705/31/20000782Ellis Deshotel Contractors
Employee #1, a roustabout, was in an International 1466 tractor with a mower attachment, cutting weeds around mostly inactive wellheads in the Chicot State Park area, approximately 5 miles north of Ville Platte, LA. His tractor came too close to a wellhead and the back right tire apparently struck a 2 in. diameter nipple/valve, breaking it off. The well had been inactive for approximately 30 years, but there was still some gas pressure in the casing, and a spark--either from the tractor or from the breaking of the nipple--ignited the residual gas. The explosion apparently blew Employee #1 off the tractor, throwing him approximately 30 ft from the wellhead. He was killed. The fire burned for 2 hours before expiring for lack of fuel.
Keywords: ejected, clearance, gas well, fire, struck against, natural gas, gas, explosion, valve, tractor
Employee # Inspection Age Sex Degree Nature Occupation
1 303081277 Fatality Burn/Scald(Heat) Occupation not reported

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