From: Think Progress
By Emily Atkin on January 31, 2014 at 9:48 am
By Emily Atkin on January 31, 2014 at 9:48 am
An “out-of-control”
well that began blowing gas into the air on Thursday is still
not under control as of Friday morning, according to a
report from the Associated Press.
42-non essential workers from Rowan Companies PLC’s
offshore rig in the Gulf of Mexico, named “Louisiana,” were
evacuated, while 37 stayed on the rig to try and stop the flow
of gas. Rig operator EnVen Energy Ventures said that while
workers attempt to kill the well, gas was being “vented” off
of the rig. Although gas, water and sand are still flowing
from the well, EnVen said no pollution has occurred in the
Gulf.
“All personnel currently aboard the rig are safe and
non-essential personnel have been evacuated, all well control
equipment is functioning as designed (and) there has been no
environmental impact,” Rowan Companies spokesperson Deanna
Castillo told
the AP.
Unlike a spill, an out-of-control well blowing gas does
not pollute in a traditional, visible sense. Instead, it
releases methane — the potent, second-most prevalent
greenhouse gas — into the air, contributing to climate change.
Pure natural gas is mostly methane, a fuel that burns cleaner
than coal or oil. However, when methane is released directly
into the air, it traps
heat in the atmosphere.
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