Oil and Gas Accidents Articles

The controversy over fracking (a popular method of fracturing rock layers with pressurized water in order to extract natural gas) rages on. Much discussion has been had in regards to the health effects of the chemicals used in the hydraulic fracturing drilling process, but there has not been as much discussion about the environmental effects…

In 2010, BP negligently released airborne health-altering chemicals in the state of Texas. The chemical release was believed to be one of the worst releases in history. It resulted in nearly 50,000 people filing lawsuits for injuries they blame on the pollution. In April 2010, a compressor broke at the BP refinery in Texas City….

Fracking for natural gas has been a long-time debate for communities all across the country, and most recently, in the town of Lubbock, Texas. Earlier this year (March 2012), the mayor of Lubbock signed an agreement with the Four Sevens Exploration Company to perform hydraulic fracturing at three different sites in Lubbock. Hydraulic fracturing is…

A 21-year-old man died last month after a drilling accident at a Texas oil field. While authorities have not yet disclosed the results of an investigation into this incident, his death is another reminder of the heightened risks of catastrophic injuries or fatalities in the oil and gas industry. The current oil exploration boom is…

The massive explosion at BP’s oil refinery in Texas City in 2005, which we recently blogged about, led to safety measures being taken at chemical plant and oil refineries throughout the nation. But similar safety measures were not taken at oil drilling and other gas operations offshore. This was readily apparent after the Deepwater Horizon…

What would you think if someone told you that over 271 pipeline accidents could have been prevented (or seriously contained) all for about $15 a piece? What about if it cost $300 a piece? What price do you put on the safety of more than 400 lives? The Associated Press recently discovered that by placing…

Seven years after a deadly explosion at a refinery in Texas City, Texas, the oil company BP Plc has settled most of the safety violations uncovered in a follow-up inspection after the explosion. Earlier this month, BP agreed to a $13 million settlement with the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). The settlement clears…

A leaked underwriting document from a major insurance company has helped strengthen the health debate over fracking – suggesting that exposure to gases and chemicals used during drilling process is hazardous to one’s health. Hydraulic fracturing, commonly known as fracking, is a high-pressure drilling process employed by natural gas and energy companies that injects water,…