IRAQ: TEAMS OF SPECIALISTS OIL WORKERS FIGHT TO EXTINGUISH FIRES AT TWO BURNING OIL WELLS IN RUMAILA OIL FIELD
Record ID:
344906
IRAQ: TEAMS OF SPECIALISTS OIL WORKERS FIGHT TO EXTINGUISH FIRES AT TWO BURNING OIL WELLS IN RUMAILA OIL FIELD
- Title: IRAQ: TEAMS OF SPECIALISTS OIL WORKERS FIGHT TO EXTINGUISH FIRES AT TWO BURNING OIL WELLS IN RUMAILA OIL FIELD
- Date: 31st March 2003
- Summary: (W6) RUMAILA OIL FIELD, IRAQ (MARCH 29, 2003) (REUTERS (A)) 1. SLV FLAMES LEAPING IN AIR FROM OIL WELLS ON FIRE ZOOM OUT SLV SOLDIERS GUARDING WELLS; GV BURNING WELL (5 SHOTS) 0.32 2. SLV OIL TANKER ON ROAD WITH FLAMES IN BACKGROUND; SLV/SCU OIL GUSHING OUT OF WELL (3 SHOTS) 0.49 3. MV SOLDIER TALKING WITH OIL WORKER 0.54 4. SOUNDBITE (English) LARRY FLAK, SENIOR BLOWOUT ADVISOR FROM BOOTS AND COOTS INTERNATIONAL WELL CONTROL, SAYING "It's a little bit strange for us because we're not used to military guarding us. There hasn't been any live fire, there hasn't been anybody shooting at us, there are no mines, or ordnance in this area, so it's a safe environment to work in. We don't feel any risk, we feel like we're being well protected here or we wouldn't be here." 1.18 5. SLV OIL WELL BEING PLUGGED; CAMELS WALKING AND GRAZING IN FRONT OF OIL WELL FIRES (10 SHOTS) 2.18 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 15th April 2003 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: RUMAILA OIL FIELDS, IRAQ
- Country: Iraq
- Reuters ID: LVADULJNU9YCX78PS0YC5BNU64OU
- Story Text: Teams of specialist oil workers have been working to
extinguish fires at two burning oil wells at Rumaila oil field
in southern Iraq after capping a third on Saturday. Retreating
Iraqi soldiers are believed to have set a total of seven wells
on fire.
Angry orange flames roared out of a sabotaged oil well
in the Rumaila oil field in southern Iraq on Saturday (March
29, 2003), while oblivious camels lazily parade by single-file
over the wealth beneath the sand that holds the key to Iraq's
future.
There was an absence of clouds of black smoke darkening the
horizon at the vast Rumaila oil field, where only two wells
were still burning after one was extinguished and capped
Saturday (March 29).
Seven wells were lit in the area by explosives the U.S.
military says were set by Iraqis, a far cry from the more than
700 oil wells retreating Iraqi forces damaged or destroyed in
Kuwait in the first Gulf War.
The Rumaila field near the Kuwaiti border is one of Iraq's
largest, and military officials have said they hope to have it
resume oil exports in three months, although analysts have
said Iraq could actually resume oil exports in weeks.
Extinguishing the dramatic fires, which can be seen from
several kilometres away and burn so bright they appear to be
etched into the sky, is just the first step in making the
wells usable again.
The dozen red-suited Boots and Coots workers used a long
crane attached to a bulldozer to place a metal "stinger" into
the well, a tapered metal rod with a hole inside used to pump
specially prepared mud to block the flow.
Larry Flak, of Boots & Coots Wells International, said the
workers feel the environment is a safe one in which to work.
"It's a little bit strange for us because we're not used to
military guarding us," he said, adding "There hasn't been any
live fire, there hasn't been anybody shooting at us, there are
no mines, or ordnance in this area, so it's a safe environment
to work in. We don't feel any risk, we feel like we're being
well protected here or we wouldn't be here."
To minimize pollution, the workers will light the wells on
fire again if they are unable to get a good seal.
Across the oil field, Kuwaiti workers were battling back
flames at another burning well, where the fire remained
undefeated despite the 700,000 litres of water that were
dumped on it. An earlier attempt to extinguish the fire
Thursday (March 27) also failed when the Kuwaiti team ran out
of water.
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