In order to stop the fire of 160 Romano Americana and to capture the well production, three tunnels have been bored to reach the shaft of
the well at some depth below the surface. The first decision to dug a tunnel came on 1st of June 1929 when Mr. E.I Dailey Technical Manager and Mr. Croock Production Manager of Romano-Americana Company with Mr. Budurovici from Romano-Americana Moreni Manager and Enginners Andreescu and Stanculescu from Mining Inspectorate visited the place.
| Possible trajectories of the tunnels based on information published in the newspapers of that time. The surface remains of the entrance to tunnel 3 and the ventilation pit were also taken into account. |
The 1st tunnel
Foreman Alex Munteanu recived the task to dug the first tunnel. The plan was to dig a 75 meters long tunnel with 15 degrees inclination in order to reach the well casings. It is belived that in the end the tunnel measured 120 meters. The works started from a location on ''Valea Frasinului'' at 26-30 meters from the well surface in 4 shifts each one with 7 men digging and 4 men pulling out the dirth on railway trolleys. On the 6th of June 1929 the tunnel reached 18 meters. Powerful fans have been installed due to the lack of air. After a week the tunnel lenght was 56 meters. The informations from newspapers of that time indicate that the well casing was perforated and a pipeline was installed to capture some of the eruption energy. At noon on 28th of July the tunnel exploded. They were doing workings in the tunnel to capture infiltrated water. The explosion collapsed ten meters of the tunnel. After the entrance was liberated two workers were pull out dead and three injured. On the 2nd of August two of the injured were reported dead. It was belived that their works deteriorated the well casings because on the 31st of August 1929 it was reported that the fire was burning at the surface and also in two places in the tunnel. In Octomber was still burning at 30 meters deep.
The tunnel was sealed and attempts to stop the eruption from the surface were initiated.
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| Ash Valley locations of the 1st and the 2nd tunnel |
The 1st tunnel was proved to be very important in operations for estinguish the fire in September 1931. Chupp & Kinley tried for five times to blow out the flame by rolling drums of glycerin jelly down into the bottom of the crater to shoot ground fires out and help expose the parted casing. In one of this tryings the flame was estinguished for the first time but only for a short period. A big fan was connected to the first tunnel pipeline in order to capture the escaping gas and to diminish the power of eruption. A new trial has been scheduled for the 18th of September 1931. After cooling the crater walls with a lot of water, during the night, in the morning, at 4 a.m. the fire was extinguished after a landslide collapsed over the wellhead. The gases captured from the first tunnel pipeline were directed to a chimney at 150 meters away. On the 28th of September at 1.30 a.m. works were done to clear the wellhead surroundings. After pomping out the water from the crater, the gas eruption incresed and it is belived that one spark reignited the well. 
Works started on the 5th of October to unclog the tunnel. The scope was to put dynamite in the tunnel close to the well casings and detonate it to stop the eruption. In the morning of October 13th, 1931 at 11 a.m. a landslide occurred, crater walls collapsed over the wellhead, and the flame was extinguished for good.
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| Photo Rudolf - oil well No. 160 RA after the explosion of the 1st tunnel |
Works started on the 5th of October to unclog the tunnel. The scope was to put dynamite in the tunnel close to the well casings and detonate it to stop the eruption. In the morning of October 13th, 1931 at 11 a.m. a landslide occurred, crater walls collapsed over the wellhead, and the flame was extinguished for good.
The 2nd tunnel
The location for the 2nd tunnel was on ''Valea Frasinului'' few meters lower and 30 meters to the left from the first tunnel entrance. Tunneling began after 19th of July in an attempt to intersect the parted casing of 160 RA and to make a large connection. When the 2nd tunnel reached 50 meters distance away from the well it had to be abandoned on account of gases.
On the 4th of August the 2nd tunnel caught fire and jointed with the well fire. Soon the whole valley was engulfed in flames. On the 15th of August 1929 the fire from the tunnel was estinguished and large amount of sand, concrete and clay were piled up on the entrance.
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| Well 160 RA on August 4th after the explosion of the 2nd tunnel |
On the 4th of August the 2nd tunnel caught fire and jointed with the well fire. Soon the whole valley was engulfed in flames. On the 15th of August 1929 the fire from the tunnel was estinguished and large amount of sand, concrete and clay were piled up on the entrance.
The 3rd tunnel
It was bored over a distance of 265 meters and reached the shaft at 58 meters below surface. On the 15th of August 1929 the works started to dig the 3rd tunnel they already began from a location situated on Pascov Valley.
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| The entrance to the third tunnel is located at an altitude of 320 meters on the Pascov Valley. The third tunnel descends slowly and, after 60 meters where there is a ventilation shaft, it goes towards the well and reaches the casings at a depth of 58 meters below the surface. It is concreted along its entire length |
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| The ventilation shaft is located at an altitude of 335 meters and 60 meters away from the tunnel entrance. Maybe a powerful fan once stood on this concrete foundation. |
More than 16 meters were dug, when, at 11.20 in the morning of 16th of August 1929 a first accident occured when welding works were done at the tunnel entrance. 16 men were severe injured. Just four of them were actual workers, the others were spectators. The entrance collapsed. Three of the workers that were in the tunnel digging, escaped without injury. On the 21st of August two of the injured died. The works continued with caution and at the end of the month 42 meters were dug.
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| Mininig workers from Lupeni and Doicesti took care of the digging. |
On the 24th of November after many delays caused by gas infiltration they had dug 163 meters. The tunnel walls were entirely concreted. On the 11th of January 1930 the well casing has been reached at 58 meters below the surface. The casing was intact. The next step was to install in the tunnel equipment to penetrate the casing and capture the gases. On the 26th of March 1930, in an attempt to estingush the well from the surface, tunnel No. 3 was flooded in order to mimimize gas infiltration. Technical precautions taken reduced the percentage of gases penetrating in the tunnel to 5% makeing it entirely harmless. A concrete chamber built round the shaft made possible the installation of perforating, collecting and suppressing equipment.
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Oil well No. 160 RA burning for more then 2 years
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| The third tunnel and the communication with abandoned oil well 82 RA Moreni Sud spud in 1916 at 575 meter. |
A very powerful eruption of gas occurred on May, 27th, 1930, at well no.160 RA, Moreni causing a violent explosion in the tunnel. A pipeline was installed for for deviating and collecting the gases. The workers drilled a hole in the well’s casings. When the casings of 18”, 14” and 10” were perforated, while water and barita were being pumped, the tunnel suddenly became flooded with gas and took fire. In that time the hight of the flame at the top of the well decreased considerably. Later on, the tunnel fire was estinguished and only remained the fire at the top of the well. Any attempt to end the eruption using the third tunnel was stopped.
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