The so-called gas leak that shut down Midwest School is an unusual release of gas, oil and carbon dioxide from the ground, a spokesman for the company that owns the Salt Creek oil field said Thursday.
“Right now we have an ongoing investigation to find out where the smell is coming from,” said Trevor Christensen of Irving, Texas-based Fleur de Lis Energy, LLC.
The Natrona County School District announced Wednesday night that a gas leak forced the school to close for Thursday and then announced that classes will be held for the rest of the academic year at the former North Casper Elementary School starting Friday.
It's much more than that, Christensen said.
Those monitoring the situation have detected natural gas. carbon dioxide, which has been used to recover oil; and traces of methane, he said.
The company has notified Midwest residents of the situation, Christensen said.
He also temporarily evacuated homes near the school where some teachers and staff live during the week, he said. “This was done to ensure their safety.”
There is no definitive timeline for when students and staff can return to school, Christensen said.
A spokesman for the Natrona County School District did not return calls seeking comment Thursday.
In addition to Fleur de Lis, Christensen said Casper Safety Consultants is monitoring gas levels in and around the school and the Midwest city.
Natrona County Emergency Management and the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality are also involved, he said. Fleur de Lis also notified the US Bureau of Land Management and the US Environmental Protection Agency.
Fleur de Lis is also cleaning up a nearby small oil spill that resulted from a spill when carbon dioxide reached the surface, known as a “circulation problem,” Christensen said.
Fleur de Lis, financed by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co., bought the Salt Creek oil field from Anadarko Petroleum Co. a year ago. The legendary Salt Creek field was one of the nation's largest oil producers a century ago.
Midwest about 1920, WHC
He doesn't like me being in that position, Christensen said.
“We certainly don't expect to see more of that in the future whether it's in the school or anywhere in the field,” he said. “We try to take care of the field on a maintenance basis where we maintain our wells, maintain the field so issues like this don't arise.”
Wyoming DEQ spokesman Keith Guille said his agency is called to situations like this to monitor air quality.
Carbon dioxide itself is not dangerous unless it replaces oxygen in the air, Guille said. “It's imperative that when we see them, everyone deals with it quickly and ensures everyone's safety.”
