Petroblog: 1928 Pascov fire - ''Au chat noir'' tunnel

At 9 a.m. on 12 of May 1928, at Pascov Valley, Moreni, a powerful fire broke out at oil well No. 298 AR Moreni Sud. The well was in drilling, under supervision of engineer S. Hoch, in search of Meotian layer, at 1445 meters. When the layer was reached, the pressure thru out the drilling pipes and smashed to the ground the drilling rig killing one workers and hurting two with calcined and solidified clay rocks thrown from the well. 18 oil wells and No. 5 Creditul Minier pumping station were destroyed by the flames.

Burning wells 268 & 298 Astra Romana

A number of 18 wells were engulfed in flames.
No. 5 Creditul Minier pumping station caught fire.
Well No. 269 AR Moreni Sud had to be torn down to prevent the fire from spreading.

Astra Romana & Creditul Minier oil wells destroyed.

Pascov Valley.

Rador photos taken on 12ve of May 1928

Firefighters in action trying to put out the flames.

Foto Stefan Olteanu, Campina.

The wells of Astra Romana ( AR ) and Creditul Minier ( CRM ) destroyed in the blaze:

Well Name	Spud Date	Depth
16 CRM Moreni Sud	1924	1924
17 CRM Moreni Sud	1924	623
233 AR Moreni Sud	1905	617
234 AR Moreni Sud	1926	470
250 AR Moreni Sud	1925	540
257 AR Moreni Sud	1926	745
263 AR Moreni Sud	1927	642
267 AR Moreni Sud	1926	617
268 AR Moreni Sud	1926	1351
269 AR Moreni Sud	1926	328
270 AR Moreni Sud	1926	544
284 AR Moreni Sud	1926	429
298 AR Moreni Sud	1928	1445
32 CRM Moreni Sud	1925	396
49 AR Moreni Sud	1915	540
61 AR Moreni Sud	1916	651
94 CRM Moreni Sud	1925	537

The fire of 268 AR Moreni Sud.
In the distance you can also see the gases burning at well no. 298 AR Moreni Sud

Actual photo of well No. 268 AR Moreni Sud.
In 1928 the well was in eruption.
Above on the hill, 50 meters away was 298 AR Moreni Sud

Well No. 49 AR Moreni Sud spud in 1915 at 540m

Extinguishing well 268 AR Moreni Sud with sandbags

''Au chat noir'' tunnel

Under the guidance of Petrol-Block specialists, the works for digging an extinguishing tunnel began and on 17th of May 1928, diggers from ''Filipestii de Padure'' mine had already dug 10 meters. A week later the tunnel reached a length of 32 meters. A number of 14th pipes were installed at well 268 AR Moreni Sud to capture the eruptive oil. After this, the well No. 268 AR Moreni Sud was slowly burning on the surface so that the main fire remained at the well No. 268 AR Moreni Sud. On June 2, the tunnel reached a length of 92 meters, but due to the haste with which it was dug, it began to collapse. On a section of seven meters it had to be concreted. An attempt to extinguish the flame was done at the surface by the Andreescu brothers but without success. At 21st of June 1928 the tunnel reached 130 meters in length just 15 meters away from the well No. 298 AR Moreni Sud casings. Finnaly on 26th of June 1928 after 6 weeks, the fire was estinguished at both wells.

The tunnel was dug from Pascov Valley.
5 posts guarded by gendarmes were organized around the fire.
In the picture, with a hat on, it can be seen engineer Misu Calarasu.
The sign is saying
"The entry without written authorization strictly prohibited"

Well No. 298 AR Moreni Sud burning and well No. 268 AR Moreni Sud in eruption

93 years later...

Google view with surface location of well No. 298 AR Moreni Sud.
The possible trajectory of the ''Au chat noir'' tunnel

Latitude and longitude of location: 44.97530522,25.6274597

More informations at the following link :

https://furcuta.blogspot.com/2014/04/wells-in-flames.html