US safety watchdog urges new drilling rules

A federal agency that investigates industrial accidents is calling for new safety regulations for onshore oil and gas drillers, in response to a 2018 blowout of a well in Oklahoma that killed five workers.

The US Chemical Safety Board (CSB), in an investigative report released today, said lapses in good safety practices allowed large quantities of gas to enter the Pryor Trust well and cause a blowout. The report urged federal and state agencies to adopt new onshore drilling safety standards to help prevent future accidents.

"If some of these safety practices had been in place, this tragedy could have been averted," interim CSB executive director Kristen Kulinowski said. "Our report lays out a strong case for recognizing the hazards in this industry and ensuring the safety of its workers."

The 22 January 2018 Pyror Trust accident occurred because the crew did not maintain adequate drilling mud, and then failed to detect a large influx of gas in time to activate a blowout preventer, the CSB found. Five workers died from burns and smoke inhalation inside a cabin off the drilling floor, it said.

The CSB also said listed as contributing factors a lack of planning, a decision to continue to drill under unexpected conditions, and the failure to perform certain safety checks.

But the report also said an absence of drilling-specific safety rules at the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Oklahoma Corporate Commission should be addressed.

Neither immediately responded to a request for comment. Red Mountain Energy, the well's leaseholder and operator, also did not respond for comment.

The CSB report also recommended that industry group the American Petroleum Institute draft guidance on automated safety standards, alarms and protections for workers inside drilling cabins. The trade group did not immediately respond for comment.

President Donald Trump in each of his budget requests has asked sought to eliminate the CSB, which his administration contends does work that is largely performed of other federal agencies. The US Congress has rejected those requests every year.