The National Monitoring System (NEMS) is currently assessing an eruption of what is suspected be natural gas, which occurred yesterday morning in Mabaruma, Region One where two wells were being dug, the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) has reported.
Head of the CDC, Colonel Kester Craig, had posted via his Facebook Page that several agencies, including the Guyana Water Inc. (GWI), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Hydrometeorological Department, were contacted to conduct an assessment on what is suspected to be a natural gas explosion.
He had also said that the Regional Environmental Officer was headed to the area to conduct the initial assessment.
Speaking to Stabroek News yesterday afternoon, Captain Salim October, the Senior Response Officer of the CDC, stated that they can’t confirm whether it was natural gas that erupted and would not be able to say so until the EPA does its assessment.
“What I can say is that there has been well drilling operations in the Kumaka area just off of Mabaruma being conducted with a Brazilian company in collaboration with GWI. We understand that there has been an old well installation that was sealed last year and this current well that was being dug also failed and was not producing the quantity of water,” October explained.
He said that while in the process of drilling, there was an eruption where the old well was dug, as well as at the new site.
“There was a minor eruption at the old site and a larger eruption at the new site, which are about couple hundred metres apart,” he said.
October noted that they are trying to ascertain whether the eruption had to do with natural gas under the earth or whether it was associated with compressed gas that is used to blow out the vent system in the drilling process.
“In order to clear the debris from the well, they would inject compressed gas through drill bits to blow back out any residue or anything that would’ve followed the drill bit into the well. I believe that that is still to be ascertained and what would’ve caused the pressure build up,” he explained.
October noted that they are currently working closely with the EPA and Hydromet Office, the two entities that provide the necessary permits for well drilling.
While the EPA will not have a physical presence on the ground, they will be working through the Regional Environmental Officer.
October added that based on the latest images he received around 3 pm yesterday, the two areas are stable at the moment and they are not observing any bubbling or movement.
“The EPA has its own mechanisms to determine what is happening and they are having internal and external discussions to determine what the best course of action is,” he said, while noting that the GWI has issued a cease order to stop all drilling activities until the situation is completely stabilized and controlled.
