By Don G. Briggs, President – LOGA (Louisiana Oil & Gas Association)

On Nov. 15, the A. Wilberts Sons LLC No. 1 well, operated by Bridas Energy USA, drilled into a high pressured formation, causing the drilling rig to lose control of the well and, as they say in the industry, “It came to see ‘em.”

Natural gas erupted to the surface spewing 100 feet into air, subsequently igniting and creating a 70 foot flame. The drilling rig, trucks, automobiles and associated equipment surrounding the drilling location melted and burned by the intense heat.
Most importantly there were no injuries. Cudd Well Control, a renowned well blowout fighting company, was dispatched to the location and in 10 days the A.Wilberts Sons No.1 well was back under control.

For the 10 days the Bridas well blew out of control, a section of Interstate I-10 was closed to all east- and westbound traffic, causing hardships for commuters, businesses and Thanksgiving travelers.

The Louisiana State Police and Louisiana’s emergency response teams and other parties involved in public safety should be commended for the well organized re-routing of one of the busiest interstate highways in the country.

All of this brings to question, “Should an oil or gas well be drilled close to a main transportation artery?” How close is close?

Gov. Kathleen Blanco wasted no time involving the Louisiana Office of Conservation, the state agency that regulates and grants drilling permits, to issue a moratorium on any future drilling or issuance of drilling permits within a quarter mile of any Louisiana interstate highway.

The moratorium is for 120 days, allowing time for an in-depth study of the issue to be conducted. Since Jan. 1, 1987, to now (21 years), 33,777 oil and gas wells have been permitted in the state of Louisiana. The total number of blowouts of the 33,777 wells is 90 or 0.26 percent (one quarter of 1 percent). Of the 90 blowouts, no major transportation artery was closed.

Louisiana’s policy on drilling close to a highway is 200 feet, which is the height of a drilling rigs derrick.

On Nov. 15, the Louisiana Office of Conservation requested the IOGCC (Interstate Oil & Gas Compact Commission) to survey other states and report back their policy on drilling close to transportation highways.

Interestingly enough, no state reported to have a policy on drilling close to a highway more stringent than Louisiana’s. For instance, California: “It’s 100 feet for any well in a field discovered after Aug. 14, 1931.” New York: “In New York, no well can be located nearer than 75 feet from the traveled part of any state, county, township, or municipal road or any public street, road or highway.”

We do not live in a world without accidents, trains, planes, plants, pipelines and well blowouts.

Like most all accidents, there is something to be learned. We will certainly join the state in studying this issue.

Don Briggs is president of the Louisiana Oil and Gas Association. His column appears in The Advertiser twice a month.