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News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
EUB RELEASES FINDINGS OF CELTIC BLOWOUT INVESTIGATION - EUB DIRECTS INDUSTRY TO STRENGTHEN EXPLOSION PREVENTION MEASURES
Calgary, Alberta (February 6, 2006) The EUB investigation examined the cause of the blowout and the company's response to the incident.
The EUB investigation concluded the oil well blowout was caused by an explosion at the wellhead during a routine well completion operation. The explosion was caused by the ignition of a mixture of hydrocarbons and air.
Based upon the results of the investigation, the EUB has issued Directive 033: Well Servicing and Completions Operations – Interim Requirements Regarding the Potential for Explosive Mixtures and Ignition in Wells that implements new regulatory requirements related to explosion prevention measures.
The EUB investigation also found specific elements of Celtic Exploration's corporate emergency response plan (ERP) to be deficient in the area of communicating with the public and municipal agencies in a timely and accurate manner.
Celtic Exploration has been instructed by the EUB to review its corporate emergency response plan in all of Celtic's operating fields and to conduct annual exercises of the revised emergency response plans and procedures. The EUB will attend and observe the initial revised response plan exercise. Drilling and servicing consultants are also required to attend the annual exercises.
At no time during the incident was public safety at risk. Sour gas content of the oil well was less than half of one per cent. Ongoing air monitoring during the incident showed emissions did not exceed Alberta Ambient Air Quality guidelines. The evacuation undertaken by the company and RCMP was a precautionary measure.
The EUB ensures that the discovery, development, and delivery of Alberta's energy resources and utilities services take place in a manner that is fair, responsible, and in the public interest.
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The EUB post-incident report and Directive 033
are available on the EUB web site at http://www.ercb.ca.
For more information, please contact:
Darin Barter
EUB Communications
Tel: (403) 297-4116
Cell: (403) 651-9487
Email: darin.barter@gov.ab.ca
nr2006-05
The Alberta Energy and Utilities Board (EUB) has completed its investigation into the Celtic Exploration Ltd. sour oil well explosion and blowout that occurred on August 9, 2005 near the town of Brooks. The explosion resulted in one worker death. Well control experts secured the well on August 10, 2005.
