At 11.30 in the morning of 10th of May 1928 a big eruption broke out on Ochiuri oilfiled at oil well No. 76 AR Ochiuri Gorgota of Astra Romana Company. The well was in drilling to reach the Meotian layer when, at a depth of 120 meters, a powerfull eruption occurred. Around 500 tons of oil mix with sand were thrown into the air during 5 hours. The pressure was estimated to be around 70 bars. After few hours it stopped because the sand from the layer got into the well and blocked the eruption. The master valve on the top of the well was closed. On the next day, in the morning at 10.30, a team of 11 oilmen ( foreman Nicolae Alexandru Buleandra and Gh. Catrina and the drillers Năstase Const., Gh. Calboaia, Tabarca Gheorghe, Niţă Gh. loan, Onicescu Ion, Petre Gh. Ion, Ene Grigore, Chiran Ion and Coman Gheorghe ) and also 3 electricians, led by engineer Iohann Anton Vorberger helped by teamleader Maeer tried to pull out the bit and drilling rods when the wooden derrick colapsed and touched the electric lines. The fire started and the team was caught. Two oilmen, Chiran Ion ( from Ocnita ) and Coman Gheorghe ( from Laculete ), couldn't get out and died. The enginner and the teamleader made it out but very burned. On the next day, 30 years old engineer Iohann Anton Vorberger ( from Brno, Czech Republic ) died at Targoviste hospital. Another well of Astra Romana, at a distance of 135 meters from 76 AR of Astra Romana, oil well No. 108 AR Ochiuri Gorgota ( in gas eruption at that time ), was ignited by sparks carried by the wind. The big risk was that the whole oilfield ( 50 wells, oil pits, oil tanks and so on ) to be engulfed in flames. The chief of Astra Romana - Ochiuri, engineer Gall organized a response team to limit the fire's spread. Also in one hour a team of firefighters under comand of lieutenant Christu arrived from Targoviste and they extinguished the fire at well 76 AR. The fire at 108 AR continued. Informed of what happened, the managing director of "Astra Romana" - engineer Van de Meer, arrived at Ochiuri and took the leadership of the rescue works. Wells destoyed by the fire :
Well Name | Spud Date | Depth |
76 AR Ochiuri Gorgota | 1925 | 859 |
108 AR Ochiuri Gorgota | 1926 | 950 |
