Well 147 of the Rag Sefid oil field erupted on October 29, 2017, with flames reaching heights of 70 meters and temperatures near the well hitting 700 degrees Celsius. Additionally, noise pollution increased to 180 decibels, negatively affecting the health of the workers.
Details of the Incident and Field Location
The Rag Sefid oil field is located in southwestern Iran, 150 kilometers east of Ahvaz. This field is one of the largest oil fields in the country, discovered in 1964, and production began in 1966. It is surrounded by the oil fields of Bibi Hakimeh, Pazanan, Ramshir, and Zaghe-Hendijan-Bahregansar.
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The eruption of Well 147 was accompanied by multiple environmental hazards, including H₂S gas pollution and rising temperatures. Therefore, an emergency response committee and a well-capping headquarters were established at the incident site, and rescue teams were quickly deployed.
Actions Taken to Cap the Well
Designing and constructing access roads and creating ponds with a capacity of 200,000 barrels for water storage were among the actions taken to cap the well. Additionally, the deployment and arrangement of machinery and the installation of cooling and firefighting systems were also prioritized.
In this operation, 9 models of stingers were designed and built for various scenarios. Furthermore, drilling of relief wells began alongside the clearing of the area around the erupting well, with two drilling rigs stationed at the operational site of the Rag Sefid well. Vertical drilling with Rig 93 Fath was conducted to a depth of 2,310 meters, continuing to 2,342 meters.
Moreover, pumping 130 barrels of water per minute through relief well C continued until the complete capping of Well 147. This operation lasted for 58 days, with 35 of those days occurring after the installation of Rig 93 Fath.
Ultimately, the eruption of Well 147 of the Rag Sefid Field returned to normal on December 26, 2017, thanks to continuous efforts and careful planning. Following this operation, wells 147C and 147B were also brought into operational status.
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