Wellhead not involved in Eckley well pad fire

The Carrollton Fire Department responded to an equipment fire at the EOG Resources Inc. Eckley well pad at approximately 4:59 p.m. Jan. 28.

According to Carrollton Fire Chief Shane Thomas, the fire occurred at 280 Fisherman Road and involved a compressor and three gas production units on the well pad, not the wellhead.

“There were rumors that the wellhead was on fire, but that was not the case,” Thomas said. “It was equipment on the pad, not the wellhead.”

Thomas said the fire was caused by what appeared to be an equipment or fitting failure involving the compressor and gas production units. Company personnel on site activated an emergency shutdown system, or ESD, before firefighters arrived, shutting down operations on the pad.

“They hit the emergency shutdown before we got on location and shut everything down,” Thomas said. “That helped a lot.”

Firefighters worked with company personnel on scene to develop a response plan before beginning suppression efforts. Foam was used to extinguish the fire, which was knocked down in approximately 25 minutes. Crews remained on scene afterward to continue cooling the equipment.

“We didn’t just rush in and put it out,” Thomas said. “We got a game plan together with the company guys, then moved in.”

No injuries were reported.

Due to extremely cold temperatures, Dellroy’s Fire Department assisted Carrollton as a precaution. The Emergency Management Agency was also on scene to assist during the response. Thomas said the department deployed gas monitoring equipment to ensure firefighter safety.

“When you get into that kind of environment, there’s pressure everywhere, valves everywhere,” Thomas said. “It’s a lot different than a house fire.”

Thomas noted that Carrollton firefighters have received training on well pads and were assisted by department members who work in the oil and gas industry.

“That knowledge is invaluable in situations like this,” he said.

The fire was contained to the equipment involved, and no environmental concerns were reported.