Alert 08 – 06 Fatality While Trying to Fill Up Casing
Alert 08 – 06 Fatality While Trying to Fill Up Casing
WHAT HAPPENED:
The rig’s crew was filling the first joint of 133/8″ casing to test the shoe. To accomplish this, the crew used a rubber hose connected to the high pressure standpipe manifold and utilized the high pressure mud pump system to transfer fill fluid to the casing. The standpipe hose connection was located lower than the main piping. This formed a trap for lost circulation material (LCM) to accumulate at the connection point. Three members of the crew were holding the hose in the casing opening when the pump was activated. The crew noticed a lack of flow from the hose nozzle. At the same time a 2,000 PSI pressure spike registered on the standpipe gauge. This spike and lack of flow occurred just before there was a violent release of pressure. The sudden influx of high pressure fluid into the hose caused it to kick upward and strike five workers on the rig floor.
One worker died from a fatal head injury. Four other workers were struck by the hose or high pressure fluid which resulted in various non-life threatening injuries to all. Forty-four operation hours of lost time occurred while rig operations were shut down to carry out an investigation, and running a wiper trip prior to running casing.