EPA v. Pryor Oil (Howard White #1 Well)

Case summary

10/28/03 - REMOVAL ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER ISSUED. THE HOWARD WHITE UNIT #1, ALSO KNOWN AS HIGHLAND DRILLING CRUDE OIL FIRE & SPILL, WAS DESIGNATED TO BE AN AIR DRILLED WELL TO TEST THE SONNY BROOK FORMATION FOR COMMERCIAL OIL PRODUCTION IN NORTHEASTERN TENNESSEE. THE WELL WAS CONSTRUCTED AS A 12-1/4 INCH HOLE DRILLED TO A DEPTH OF 901 FEET AND A 9-5/8 INCH SURFACE CASING WAS RUN AND CEMENTED. A 6-1/4 INCH HOLE WAS DRILLED TO A DEPTH OF 2,430 FEET AND ENCOUNTED FRACTURED POROSITY. AN OIL FLOW OCCURRED. THE DRILL STRING WAS PULLED APPROX 300 FEET TO A DEPTH OF 2,390 FEET AND AN ATTEMPT WAS MADE TO LOAD THE HOLE WITH WATER. THE OIL FLOW WAS INCREASED AND PRESSUR INCREASED AND THE RIG CREW MADE EFFORTS TO DIVERT THE FLOW TO STORAGE TANKS. AS THE FLOW GREW IN INTENSITY, A SPILL OCCURRED AND OIL BEING POOLING AROUND THE WELL AND RIG AND SPILLING OUT OF HTE CONTAINMENT AREA BECOMING UNCONTAINABLE. HOURS LATER, AN IGNITION SOURCE IGNITED THE OIL AND A FIRE OCCURRED. OIL FLOWED DOWN GRADIENT IN TWO DIRECTIONS/AREAS: CLEAR CREEK AND WHITE CREEK. SOME OF THE OIL ON THE CREEKS WAS BURNING INCLUDING FOREST AREAS IN THE PATH OF THE SPILLING OIL. THE AREA IS NAMED THE OBED WILD AND SCENIC RIVER, UNDER THE JURISDICTION OF THE DEPT. OF INTERIOR. CLEAR CREEK IS ALSO FEDERALLY DESIGNATED CRITICAL HABITAT, PURSUANT TO THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT, FOR THE FEDERALLY THREATENED SPOTFIN CHUB. APPROX TWO MILES OF CLEAR CREEK WAS AFFECTED. THESE CREEKS FLOW INTO THE OBED RIVER. THE INITIAL DISCHARGE WAS FROM THE WELL, HOWEVER AFTER SEVERAL DAYS OF THE EPA CONDUCTED REMOVAL OF THE DISCHARGE AND MITIGATING THE THREAT/SUBSTANTIAL THREAT, IT APPEARS THE DISCHARGE IS EMITTING FROM THE SUBSURFACE, IN ONGOING AND COULD CONTINUE FOR AN UNKNOWN PERIOD OF TIME. ORDER REQUIRES IMMEDIATE STABILIZATION, MITIGATION AND REMOVAL ACTIONS. THERE HAVE BEEN 11 AMENDMENTS TO THIS ORDER

Defendants (1)

• PRYOR OIL CO.Named in settlement

Facilities (1)

• PRYOR OIL CO. (HOWARD WHITE #1 WELL)

  ELMER HOWARD PROPERTY, WARTBURG, TN, 37887

  Registry ID: 110015746978

Statutes cited

• CWA 311B — Oil & Hazardous Substances Discharge

Enforcement conclusions (1)

• Pryor Oil Co. (Howard White #1 Well)entered 2002-08-05

  Primary law: CWA

Timeline (13 milestones)

• 2002-08-05Final Order Issued
• 2002-08-12Amended Administrative Order
• 2002-08-22Amended Administrative Order
• 2002-09-10Amended Administrative Order
• 2002-09-27Amended Administrative Order
• 2002-10-11Amended Administrative Order
• 2002-11-12Amended Administrative Order
• 2002-12-13Amended Administrative Order
• 2003-02-26Amended Administrative Order
• 2003-04-08Amended Administrative Order
• 2003-04-22Amended Administrative Order
• 2003-05-07Amended Administrative Order
• 2003-07-31Enforcement Action Data Entered