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Gas worker burned at well pad between Rifle, Silt

Pete Fowler
pfowler@postindependent.com
Glenwood Springs, CO Colorado

RIFLE, Colorado ” An oil and gas worker was burned at a natural gas well pad site Tuesday afternoon between Rifle and Silt near Highway 6.

Rifle Fire Protection District Fire Marshall Kevin Whelan said firefighters received a call about the fire at 2:52 p.m. They arrived around 3:04 p.m. A natural gas separator unit had caught fire, Whelan said.

“It was still on fire when our crews arrived,” he said. “They had it knocked down in a relatively short period of time upon arrival.”



Firefighters extinguished the separator unit and some nearby grass. One employee who was working on the separator unit at the Antero Resources Corporation well pad suffered burns and was transported to the Grand River Medical Center in Rifle by a private vehicle, Whelan said.

The employee was believed to be a male in his 20s and suffered burns to the facial area, according to initial reports aired through the county dispatch center. The employee was reportedly flown from the hospital later by CareFlight.



Bill Pierini, division landman for Antero, said the cause of the incident leading to the burn is still under investigation. He said the employee was being assessed by doctors to determine if he could be released Wednesday night.

Pierini said the employee worked for a contractor Antero uses.

Contact Pete Fowler: 384-9121

pfowler@postindependent.com


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