Vehicles and equipment at a well site in Independence Township inside the Wayne National Forest burn after an Aug. 25 explosion. (File Photo)

PARKERSBURG – Two people have died since being injured in an orphan well explosion in Washington County in August — the most recent on Dec. 14.

Chris Pinkerton, 48, of Woodsfield, was an employee of Monroe Drilling at the site of the blast on Independence Township 420 in the Wayne National Forest, according to the Ohio Oil and Gas Association. He died Dec. 14 at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus, according to an obituary posted at wattersfuneralhome.com.

Chris Starkey, 42, of Zanesville, was working for Formation Cementing at the site and died Oct. 3 at Wexner Medical Center, according to an obituary posted on bolin-dierkesfuneralhome.com.

Pinkerton was one of three Monroe Drilling employees injured in the Aug. 25 explosion at the Farnsworth #4 site, while Starkey was one of two working for Formation Cementing injured, said Mike Chadsey, director of external affairs for the Ohio Oil and Gas Association.

An Ohio Department of Natural Resources mineral resources inspector on the scene was also injured but was released from the hospital that day, ODNR officials said.

Orphan wells have no known owner, and Ohio has a program to plug them in an effort to “protect public health and safety, conserve natural resources, and allow the efficient development of Ohio’s oil and gas resources,” according to the program’s website. The plugging effort at Farnsworth #4 was part of a state contract for such work.

In the aftermath of the explosion, the Oil and Gas Association worked with the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio to raise nearly $100,000 to be provided to the families of the injured individuals, Chadsey said. It was an example of “the industry coming together to support our own during a tough time,” he said.

An investigation report issued in November by ODNR’s Division of Oil and Gas Resources Management said the explosion was caused by a “kick” — a rapid influx of natural gas and crude oil into the well — resulting in a blowout that released oil and natural gas throughout the site. The gas ignited when it found an ignition source, believed to be the diesel engine of a water truck, resulting in “the entire well site being engulfed in flames.”

“The Division has determined that the cause of the explosion was the contractor’s improper implementation of primary and secondary well control barriers that resulted in a loss of well control,” the report’s executive summary says.

Static conditions were not achieved at the surface prior to commencing cementing operations, which allowed the kick to occur, the summary says. Other issues rendered a secondary well control barrier “ineffective and unestablished,” it says.

The report said the division also found several contributing factors that compromised the safety of personnel on-site and increased the risk of a loss of control of the well.

Calls to a representative of Monroe Drilling and to Formation Cementing were not immediately returned Monday afternoon.

“The division has worked quickly to address the causes of this explosion to ensure that orphan wells are being plugged safely,” the report summary says. “The division has already conducted additional training, amended the scope of work for plugging jobs to implement additional safety precautions and developed processes for inspectors to ensure that contractors comply with the scope of work and safety requirements.

“The division will continue to explore ways to enhance communication capabilities at sites, like the Farnsworth #4 site, where phone service is unavailable. The division has also made recommendations to the industry that focus on adherence to the scope of work and additional training measures,” it says.

Evan Bevins can be reached at ebevins@newsandsentinel.com