A drilling rig is on fire in Lavaca County in southern Texas following an explosion in the evening of Wednesday 28 August 2013. The rig, part of the Eagle Ford Shale development, owned by Nabors Industries and operated by EOG Resources of Houston, was involved in horizontal drilling for shale gas when it suffered a blowout, and consequently caught fire. Incidents of this kind typically occur when drilling operations unexpectedly encounter pockets of pressurized hydrocarbons, particularly gas. All workers at the site have reportedly been evacuated safely.
Fire burning at the drilling rig in Lavaca County on Wednesday 28 August 2013. Eagle Ford Shale.
Local fire crews have reportedly not been able to control the blaze, and have sort help from Wild Well Control, a company based in Houston who specialize in dealing with this sort of incident. It is not clear if the rig can be saved, and it is likely to burn for several days.
See also Gas rig on fire in Caspian Sea, Burning gas rig off the coast of Louisiana, North Sea oil rig partially evacuated following leak, Oil rig runs aground on Sitkalidak Island on New Years Day and Two feared dead after explosion on oil rig in Gulf of Mexico.
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