The victims of last week’s Texas Petroleum Investment Co. oil well explosion continued along their long road to recovery over the weekend as officials in St. Mary Parish, Louisiana, worked to determine its cause.
Spark Ignited Natural Gas as Crew Attempted to Plug Abandoned Well
The May 25th explosion erupted shortly after 3:00 p.m. at an abandoned well located along Little Wax Bayou in the Belle Island Field. Houston, Texas-based Wild Well Control had dispatched a crew to the site that morning, following a blowout that had natural gas spewing from the well since May 23rd.
According to well operator Houston-based Texas Petroleum Co., a spark ignited the gas, triggering the explosion.
Seven Wild Well Control contractors were hurt, including a 61-year-old man airlifted to University Medical Center in New Orleans with serious burns to his hands, neck, and face.
“I Woke Up This Morning So Grateful to Have a Dad.”
According to his daughter, the victim was a well consultant and superior well technician with 40 years of experience and was wearing a fire-resistant protective suit. He was scheduled to undergo the first of multiple surgeries last Thursday and is a candidate for a new burn treatment that could reduce the number of skin grafts he’ll need to heal.
“I woke up this morning so grateful to have a Dad,” she told KLFY-10 News.
“My Dad is tough. He kept telling me. I know it looks bad, but I promise you it looks way worse than it actually is,” she continued. “He said that to me three or four times. He’s awesome. I’m very proud of him.”
Texas Petroleum Investment Co. Explosion Remains Under Investigation
A second victim was flown to a burn unit in Lafayette, and two others were taken to New Orleans via ambulance. Three additional contractors received treatment at Ochsner St. Mary emergency department after driving themselves to the hospital.
Authorities have not identified any of the other injured men. It’s also not clear if any remain hospitalized.
The Louisiana Department of Natural Resources continues to investigate the explosion in cooperation with Texas Petroleum Investment Company and other state and local agencies.
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