Wyoming man killed in North Dakota well explosion
June 20 (Reuters) – An oil worker was killed and two others were injured at an explosion at a well owned by an Exxon subsidiary in North Dakota, the Associated Press reported on Monday.
Johnny Stassinos, 52, of Rock Springs, Wyoming, died Saturday as a result of injuries stemming from the accident at a well site operated by XTO Energy, a subsidiary of ExxonMobil Corp, the AP reported.
According to the McKenzie County Sheriff’s Department, Daniel Montes, 28, of Fruita, Colorado, and Richard Maheu, 27, of Rock Springs, Wyoming, were airlifted to the Regions Burn Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. The two men were listed in critical condition after suffering third degree burns to 70 per cent of their bodies.
A third man, 40-year-old Justin Pyle of Grand Junction, Colorado, was treated at a local hospital for minor burns to his face and has since been released.
The explosion occurred near Watford City, located approximately 47 miles southeast of Williston, in Western North Dakota.
Susan Guthrie, a spokesperson for XTO Energy says the four men were contractors who work for a company that does well maintenance.
Eric Brooks, director of the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s office in Bismarck told the Associated Press “There was a split in a pipe, and there was an explosion.”
Investigators are working to determine the cause of the breach and the source of the ignition.
Reuters has not independently confirmed the information.
(Reporting By David Gaffen; Editing by Dan Grebler)