Page 13 - MEOG Week 44 2022

MEOG NEWS IN BRIEF MEOG

field to start pumping gas to power stations exploded, the commander of security forces in SERVICES
as a first stage which will be followed by Baghdad, Ahmad Salim, said in a statement.
another steps aiming at expanding production “The explosion is an accident and not an act of Completion of drilling two
operations. terrorism,” he added.
The Deputy Director General of Midland Most of the victims were amateurs playing oil wells in the Zubair field
Oil Company, who is in charge of managing football in their neighbourhood stadium,
the company, Qadouri Abd Saleem said that the Reuters news agency reported. Medical Iraq’s Ministry of Oil announced this week
the work carried out by MOC staff continuing sources gave a higher casualty toll to the AFP the completion of drilling two oil wells in the
to fulfil the aspirations of the ministry in the news agency, with one saying 12 people had Zubair oil field in Basra Governorate.
development and production operations in been killed. An AFP correspondent said the The Director General of the Iraqi Drilling
Akass field in Anbar province. windows of nearby buildings were blown out Company, Basem Abdul Karim Nasser, said in
The meeting was attended by senior and vehicles in the area were damaged. “We a statement received by the Iraqi News Agency
officials in the company and concerned were at home and felt a very strong blast and a (INA): “The technical and engineering staff
directorate in the ministry. smell of gas,” resident Mohammed Aziz, who in the company completed drilling the Zubair
MOO lives just 100 metres (330 feet) from the blast / 544 oil well using the IDC-37 drilling rig,
site, told AFP. with a depth of 2419 meters, in addition to the
Gas tanker explosion in “Our doors and windows were blown out.” completion of drilling the Zubair well / 549
“It felt like we were suffocating,” he added.
using the IDC-38 drilling rig with a depth of
Baghdad kills nine, wounds Latif Rashid, promised there would be an 3617 meters within the contract concluded
Iraq’s recently-elected president, Abdul
with the Italian company ENI in cooperation
many investigation to identify those responsible for with the American company Schlumberger to
the accident.
provide oil services.
At least nine people were killed and 13 injured Safety standards in the transport and He added that “the company also
after a gas tanker exploded in an accident in construction sector are frequently flouted in completed four wells in a row within
the Iraqi capital, say security forces. Iraq, and accidents are a common occurrence. this project in record times less than the
The explosion, which was heard across In April 2021, more than 80 people died in planned period,” noting “commitment to
much of Baghdad, happened near a football a hospital fire in Baghdad, after badly stored standards of occupational health, safety and
field in an eastern part of the city on Saturday oxygen bottles exploded. the environment and the implementation
night and sent shrapnel into residential AFP of drilling operations without accidents or
buildings and into the pitch. “Nine civilians injuries.”
were killed and 13 injured” when the tanker INA

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