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Oliver Springs Oil Well Fire

All POLREP's for this site Oliver Springs Oil Well Fire
Oliver Springs, TN - EPA Region IV
POLREP #17 - Future Oil Well Oversight by Tenn Oil and Gas
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On-Scene Coordinator - Perry Gaughan, OSC 5/19/2010
Emergency - Removal Action Pollution Report (POLREP) #17
Start Date: 3/19/2008
Pollution Report (POLREP) #17
Site Description
On March 19th,  EPA ERRB responded to an oil well fire in Oliver Springs Tenn. The RP, Walden Resources hired Wild Well Services from Houston, Texas to put out the well fire and cap the well. After mobing necessary personnel and equipment, the fire was extinguished and the well was successfully capped on Tuesday March 25th.

On November 1st, 2008, Walden Resources agreed to an Administrative Order with EPA essentially permitting Walden to produce the well under the supervision of EPA's petroleum consultant, Mick Reed. Mr Reed supervised all safety and production phases of this project. Well head pressures exceeded 1200 psi when the well was capped in March 2008.  


Current Activities
From December 2009 through February 2010, oil well production and well head pressures dropped significantly forcing Walden Resources to begin measures to withdrawl drill tube and arrange for geophysical logging and cement bond logging of the well. EPA's consultant, Mick Reed and Tenn Oil and Gas' Glenn Burke continue to oversee the safety and engineering aspects of drill tube withdrawl and geophysical logging of the well.

Planned Removal Actions
The OSC plans to relenquish all future oversight activities to Tenn Oil and Gas.