Subscribe to RSS feedNo timeframe to extinguish West Atlas blaze
There was no immediate timeframe for when the fire at the West Atlas oil rig in the Timor Sea would be extinguished, a spokesman for PTT Exploration and Production (PTTEP) Australasia said today.
West Atlas has been on fire since Sunday
The spokesman said the fire was still burning and that the PTTEP team was waiting to carry out the next "well kill" operation, which involved pouring about 4000 barrels of heavy density mud down the relief well.
“The mixture of heavy mud is designed to backflow along the leaking well, stop the flow of gas and oil at the surface of the H1 well and cut off the fuel source for the fire at the wellhead platform,” PTTEP chief financial Jose Martins said.
“This should kill the well and extinguish the fire.”
The fire began on Sunday at 1210 hrs Darwin time during one of the "well kill" exercises.
The rig operator pumped seawater down the relief well from the West Triton rig yesterday in an effort to wet the gas and control the fire.
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