Without disclosing where the well was located, or who the job was for, we can at least recognize it was a cool job. This gas well contained over 45 ppm H2S so it had to be left burning all the time, right up until it was capped. In the photo above the fire is spread out to hell and gone, blowing in all directions and a dozer is being backed in with an athey boom and rake. Ultimately the well control team were able to snag the BOP/WH assembly, pulled it off the casing and got the fire going straight up.
The well was blowing hard enough to be seen 30 miles away.
It made its own weather; in the photo, right, the smoke layer is underneath the heat induced cloud.
Below is a video clip from this well I talked over in several well control history presentations; the Russian footage starts at the 0.46 second mark. I suggest you put your ear plugs in...
A massive hole was dug around the well with dozers to expose good, clean casing to cut and cap to.
In this photo the casing strings have been cut and a 13 5/8ths Braden Head is being installed to cap to. Note the guide skirts and hydraulic jacks.
In this photo the Braden Head assembly is being wrapped with asbestos cloth in preparation of cutting the casing above it with a jet cutter. The capping stack would then be designed to swallow the casing stub and eventually bolted to the Braden Head, flange to flange, while still burning. The level of H2S content in this well would make you pretty sick. Once capped the well was then shut in and kill procedures implemented.
Turkmenistan, 2006
At the well head looking straight up the casing stub; fire and water from nearby monitors.
Comments