SALEM, Ohio — Two workers have died from injuries sustained at an orphan well explosion in Wayne National Forest in August.
Chris Pinkerton, 48, of Woodsfield, Ohio, died on Dec. 14 at Ohio State University’s Wexner Medical Center in Columbus from injuries he sustained Aug. 25 at the Farnsworth #4 well in Independence Township, in Washington County, Ohio. He was part of a crew from Monroe Drilling working to plug the well when it exploded.
Chris Starkey, 42, of Zanesville, Ohio, died Oct. 3 from his injuries. He worked for Formation Cementing.
According to an investigation report released by ODNR in November, the explosion was caused by a “kick” — a rapid influx of natural gas and crude oil into the well — that caused a blowout of natural gas and oil on the surface, igniting and engulfing the entire well site in flames.
ODNR suspects the oil and gas ignited when it hit a diesel engine from a water truck on-site. The agency is working on final recommendations from the incident, which in total injured six workers.
One of the injured workers was an Ohio Department of Natural Resources employee who was released from the hospital the day of the explosion, said Mike Chadsey, director of external affairs at the Ohio Oil and Gas Association.
The other three workers are still recovering from their injuries and are receiving treatment at OSU’s Wexner Medical Center, Chadsey said.
Less than a week after the explosion, the Ohio Oil and Gas Association worked with the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio to set up the CARE Fund, Compassionate Assistance for Rig Employees. The oil and gas company raised almost $100,000, which will be divided among the workers and their families to pay for medical and other expenses. The fund is open indefinitely for people to donate.
According to Chadsey, the oil and gas organization also paid for fuel, meals and hotel expenses shortly after the incident so family members could be close to their loved ones who are recovering.
Chadsey said the oil and gas association’s safety training will adapt its next program to learn from the incident.
“We always talk about (recent events), whether it’s an incident of this magnitude, or what we often refer to as a near miss, and what are the steps we could have done differently? What could we learn from that process? What could be implemented? What do we do about our safety culture?” Chadsey said.
The ODNR investigation concluded that the cause of the explosion was the “contractor’s improper implementation of primary and secondary well control barriers that resulted in a loss of well control.”
Other factors that compromised the safety of on-site workers included failure to have a gas monitor, windsock or airmovers on site, crowding of equipment and having multiple potential ignition sources together. Additionally, the ODNR said on-site employees were not wearing protective equipment, including flame-resistant clothes.
Ohio has been ramping up its efforts to plug orphan wells in recent years, thanks to an influx of state and federal funding. The state is home to more than 20,000 orphan wells, which are abandoned oil and gas wells without a registered owner responsible for plugging them once their productive life is over.
As the industry looks to improve safety measures, family and friends remember the workers who died.
According to his obituary, Pinkerton was born in Marietta, Ohio, and enjoyed camping and hiking. He is survived by his parents, wife and five children.
Starkey worked as a field supervisor for Formation Cementing for over 22 years. He was a devoted member of the North Terrace Church of Christ and an animal lover. Above all, he was a “wonderful husband and father,” and a “very proud ‘girl dad,’” according to his obituary.
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