Oliver Springs Well Fire - U.S. National Response Team (NRT)

Oliver Springs Well 

Fire 

Cove Lane Road, Oliver Springs, 

Anderson County, Tenn

Oliver Springs Well Fire 

March 18, 2008 

• Initial release from the 

well 

• Location – Oliver 

Springs is 10 miles 

west of Oak Ridge and 

22 miles west of 

Knoxville.


• Light crude oil running 

down the hillside


• Plume from the initial 

release moving 

towards the southeast


March 19, 2008 

• Fire burning at 

wellhead location as 

well as downgradient 

locations


• Fire burning on the 

surface of the 

Pennington Lake 

downgradient of 

wellhead location


• Fire burning with the 

Pennington Lake in 

the foreground


• Car that was engulfed 

in flames immediately 

downgradient of the 

wellhead location


• Equipment that was 

engulfed in flames 

immediately 

downgradient of the 

wellhead location


• Local responders 

staged south of the 

fire along Cove Lane.


March 19, 2008 

• Local residents 

evacuating from the 

area while fire rages in 

background


• 225 MB movie clip 

here….


• Absorbent boom 

placed downstream of 

the primary retention 

pond in Wright Creek.


• Siding on the 

Daugherty house 

warped from the 

intense heat from the 

fire. 

• 4 homes within 300 

yards of well site.


March 19, 2008 

• Wild Wells Services 

from Houston, Texas 

responded to 

extinguish fire. 

• Majority of Wild Wells 

employees have 20+ 

years of oil and gas 

fire fighting 

experience.


March 20, 2008 

• Wild Wells mobed 

personnel and equipment 

to fight fire. 

• Cleared and benched 

hillside to allow for room to 

maneuver equipment into 

place. 

• Established drainage and 

retention pond system to 

collect fire fighting water 

and oil from hillside.


March 21, 2008 

• Wild Well Control 

pumping water from 

Pennington Lake


• Water cannons used 

to reduce radiant heat 

from the wellhead 

during debris removal 

operations


March 21, 2008 

• Deploying hard boom 

and absorbent boom 

at additional 

downstream locations


• March 20 th , START began 

perimeter air monitor using 

the EPA Rapid 

Assessment Tool (RAT). 

• Also conducted individual 

home assessments during 

response. 

• Results presented at daily 

public meetings.

Oliver Springs Well Fire- USCG 

Strike Team 

• Strike Team deployed to 

assist with response – 

members from Gulf, Pacific 

and Atlantic 

• Monitored fire and air levels 

24/7 

• Directed Health and Safety 

efforts through out the 

response. 

• Assisted with Ops, individual 

home assessments, and 

daily public briefings.


• EPA informing local 

news stations of the 

response efforts. 

• Public Meetings held 

daily to inform locals 

of smoke plume-air 

monitoring results and 

clean up progress.


March 25, 2008 

• Fire was extinguished with 

water cannon water above and 

below venturi tube to displace 

oxygen. 

• A third attempt to gain control 

of well using heavy water 

failed. 

• Necessitated using 

conventional “stabbing 

method”. (1-2% chance of 

success) 

• The wellhead was capped the 

afternoon of March 25, 2008

Oliver Springs – RRT Conference 

Calls 

• March 26 th – Original Intent 

was to inform members that 

the well was re-ignited to gain 

control of run off. Since 

stabbing worked, call was 

used to update RRT members 

and proceed with Federal 

Assumption. 

• March 28 th – inform members 

of placing well into production 

to reduce pressure of well 

head. Advice given by experts 

in industry as well as EPA Reg 

6.


• Removal of the failed 

blowout preventer.

Post Fire – Removal Phase 

• Federal Assumption 

Weds, March 26 th . 

• Storage, Treatment, 

and Disposal of 

300,000 gallons of 

retention pond water 

and oil. 

• Disposal of 4000 cubic 

yds of contaminated 

soil.

Post Fire – Removal Phase 

• Establish a oilgroundwater 

recovery 

system in floodplain 

below well site. 

• Site restoration, 

reseeding, some 

residential sampling.

Oliver Springs - Funding from NPFC 

• Case Officer – Miguel 

Bella, USCG 

• EPA provided updates on 

a daily basis including RP 

information and insurers. 

• Conducted site visit on 

April 2 nd . 

• Has provided EPA with 1.8 

million to conduct 

necessary clean up and 

oversight activities.

Oliver Springs – TDEC Fines 

• TN Oil & Gas “red 

tagged” the capped 

wellhead assembly. 

• Walden Resources 

fined $50,000 for 

drilling beyond 

permitted depth of 

3000 ft (drilled to 3900 

ft).


• Real-time air 

monitoring at the well 

head using AreaRAEs. 

• Remote display and 

data logging setup a 

command post.

Post Fire – Restoration Phase 

• Restored slopes along 

the Pennington pond.


• Location of oil seep at 

the base of the hillside 

inline with the 

wellhead.


• Oil seen seeping into 

a interceptor trench at 

the base of the hill 

below the wellhead. 

• The oil seems to be 

traveling along the 

bedrock.

Oliver Springs – restored hillside and 

well site

Oliver Springs - Well placed into 

Production 

• Dec 1 st 2008 - 

Through an 

Administrative Order 

Walden Resources 

began producing oil 

and gas.

Oliver Springs – Production Numbers 

• Natural Gas- 0.5 

million cubic feet per 

day 

• Approx 300 barrels of 

light crude oil per day

“Big Picture” – Future Considerations 

• 400 new wells to be 

drilled in east Tenn 

during 2008-2009. 

• Ranging from large 

companies such as 

Atlas and Chesapeake 

Natural Gas to small 

independent drillers

Lessons Learned – TDEC Revised Oil 

and Gas Measures 

• 2 day certification 

training for all drillers 

and well operators. 

• Emphasis on proper 

notification process to 

TEMA, TDEC, NRC 

• “Double stacked” Blow 

Out Preventers 

(BOP’s)

Opportunities for EPA exercises with 

State and local responders 

• Opportunity to 

exercise with TEMA, 

TDEC and local EMA 

coordinators on 

lessons learned plus 

oil spill recovery 

techniques and proper 

notification methods.

Key Contacts 

• TDEC – Jeff Laxton, Oil and Gas Division 

cell (865) 207-0733 

• EPA – Perry Gaughan, OSC 

cell (404) 909-2930 

• Oil and Gas Consultant – Mick Reed 

Greystar Engineering cell (606) 791-1306

Kudos 

• to EPA’s Chuck Eger, Rick Jardine, Carter 

Williamson, Sheryl Carbonaro, Paula White 

and Wilda Cobb 

• to USCG Strike Team 

• to Tetra Tech Start Team

THE END

Oliver Springs Well Fire - U.S. National Response Team (NRT)

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