Workers rescued after blowout at Bai Hassan oil field

KIRKUK — Several oil workers were rescued after a high-pressure blowout during drilling operations Thursday evening at the Bai Hassan oil field in Kirkuk, highlighting ongoing concerns over worker safety in the region.

The incident occurred around 5 p.m. Thursday as employees were drilling a new well more than 1,500 meters deep. A sudden surge of natural gas, drilling fluid, and toxic hydrogen sulfide erupted uncontrollably from the underground reservoir, forcing workers to evacuate immediately.

Adnan Hamdan, one of the rescued workers, described the frightening moment to 964media.

“As we were drilling deeper, over 1,500 meters, the underground pressure pushed the well fluids to the surface,” Hamdan said.

Video footage obtained by 964media, filmed by a worker at the scene, captured employees rushing to safety as the blowout occurred. Drilling fluid and natural gas rapidly surged from the wellhead, complicating evacuation efforts.

Hamdan explained that drilling fluid inside the pipe mixed with the escaping gas, intensifying the speed and force of the eruption.

Emergency shutdown procedures were quickly activated, and workers sealed the well area with concrete to contain the leak before eventually resuming drilling operations.

Hydrogen sulfide, a highly toxic gas naturally present in petroleum reservoirs, poses a severe hazard. Exposure symptoms vary depending on the gas concentration and duration of exposure, ranging from eye and respiratory irritation at low levels to immediate unconsciousness or death at concentrations above 500 parts per million.

The Bai Hassan field is among several major oil fields in Kirkuk undergoing redevelopment. Last month, the Iraqi Ministry of Oil signed an agreement with British energy company BP aimed at modernizing infrastructure and increasing crude production at Bai Hassan, Avanah, Jambur, and Khabbaz oil fields, all operated by North Oil Company.