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160 RA and the three tunnels

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

Oil well No. 160 RA burning for more then 2 years

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.

More information at the following link :

http://furcuta.blogspot.com/2015/10/sonda-160-romano-americana-de-la-moreni.html

Oil wells on the Ash Valley, Moreni.

Special thanks to Mr. Jeff Spencer

Petroleum History Institute (PHI) VP; past president

1929 Tuicani fire - Well No. 160 Romano Americana

At 9.20 in the morning of 28th May 1929 on Tuicani Plateau the well in drilling 160 RA blow out. The eruption, that threw out 300 meters of drilling pipes, came from Meotion layer encounter at 1453 meters. The heat was so intense that no one was able to approach less than 500 meters. At that time, Mr. E.I Dailey was the technical manager and Mr. Croock was production manager of Romano-Americana Comany. Mr. Budurovici was Romano-Americana Company Moreni manager.

Aerial view showing the fire of 160 RA Moreni Sud

( from 1929 until 1931 )

160 RA Moreni Sud flame

Latitude and longitude of location: 44.977253,25.631602.

The crater left by eruption is visible on google maps.

Wooden derrick of 161 RA Moreni Sud smashed to the ground by the 160 RA blast.

Location is on Tuicani Plateau between Eruption Road in the east and Wells Road on the west.

A number of 17 oil wells were destroyed by the 160 RA Moreni Sud blast followed by the fire.

According to informations available in the newspapers from that time, the wells destroyed by the blast were :

1. 160 RA Moreni Sud - in drilling

2. 161 RA Moreni Sud - in eruption at that time

3. 17 AR Moreni Sud

4. 23 S AR Moreni Sud - in production

5. 289 AR Moreni Sud

6. 304 A AR Moreni Sud - in production

7. 10 bis SP RA Moreni Sud - it was used in an attempt to estinguish 160 RA fire by pumping salt water but the water flooded eruptive oil well 161 RA insted.

8. 154 Romano-Americana - I couldn't find 154 Romano-Americana on the drilled wells at Moreni by Romano-Americana, so I belive it is actually oil well no. 154 IRDP Moreni Sud, in drilling at that time, located 275 meters to the north from 160 RA.

9. 36 AR Moreni Sud - in intervention at that time

Oil well No 6 AR Moreni Sud spud in 1912 at 570m

was one of the well destroyed by the blaze

10. 6 AR Moreni Sud - in intervention at that time

11. 307 AR Moreni Sud - in drilling at that time

12. 63 RA Moreni Sud - in production

13. 2 Bis SP RA Moreni Sud - in production ( in 1912 this well was in drilling and it was ignited by the Ash Valley fire )

After the blast sparks were carried out by the wind to 650 meters away to the south-west in the Pascov area and set on fire the wooden derricks of

14. 78 AR Moreni Sud - abandoned at that time.

15. 32 IRDP Moreni Sud and

16. 44 IRDP Moreni Sud.

In the newspapers is also indicated to be destroyed oil well no.

17. 306 AR Moreni Sud - 850m to the east in the Cricov area ( it is very far away but it could by also ignited by the sparks carried out by the wind).

More informations at the following link :

http://furcuta.blogspot.com/search/label/160

1913 Tuicani & Cricov fire - 21 wells destroyed

On the 21st of October 1913 at 6 p.m. a major fire broke out and engulfed Tuicani-Cricov oil wells. Astra Romana and Romano-Americana companies had each 8 oil wells burned. The wooden derricks of Romano-Americana oil wells No. 54, 60 and 62 had to be demolished in order to stop the fire from spreading. The fire burned also the oil wells No. 1 and 2 of Colombia Company situated on ''Valea Frasinului'' - Ash Valley. Production of oil well No. 1 COL Moreni Sud was at that time 40-50 wagons per day ( 400 to 500 tons of oil per day ). To stop the fire and the eruption more than one thousand of sandbags had to be thrown on the wellhead. Oil wells No. 1 COL Moreni Sud ( in eruption ), 2 COL Moreni Sud ( in drilling ), 58 SP RA Moreni Sud and 59 RA Moreni Sud had burned once before on 3rd of May 1912 in Concordia fire - https://furcuta.blogspot.com/2021/03/ash-valley-on-fire.html. Few of the wells that burned in Tuicani-Cricov fire were in drilling at that time. With sandbags throw over the burning areas, the fire went out after 12 hours, in the morning of 22nd of October.

Well Name	Spud Date	Depth
1 COL Moreni Sud	1912	633
10 AR Moreni Sud	1912	484
12 AR Moreni Sud	1912	614
14 AR Moreni Sud	1913	642
2 COL Moreni Sud	1914	689
16 AR Moreni Sud	1914	604
19 AR Moreni Sud	1913	574
29 M AR Moreni Sud	1908	334
3 RA Moreni Sud	1908	312
33 AR Moreni Sud	1914	642
51 RA Moreni Sud	1913	1363
53 SP RA Moreni Sud	1915	691
58 SP RA Moreni Sud	1912	788
59 RA Moreni Sud	1912	661
64 RA Moreni Sud	1913	636
8 P RA Moreni Sud	1911	646
9 S AR Moreni Sud	1909	294

Oil wells burned in 1913 Tuicani Cricov fire

Adevărul, 26, nr. 8661, 22 octombrie 1913

Adevărul, 26, nr. 8662, 23 octombrie 1913

1912 Ash Valley fire - Well No. 3 Concordia

At 6.30 in the morning of 3rd May 1912 a big fire broke out on Ash Valley ( Valea Frasinului ) from an electric spark at oil well No. 2 COL Moreni Sud ( in drilling ) of Colombia Company. Because the athmosphere was saturated with gases from eruptive well No. 3 CC COL Moreni Sud of Concordia Company, in a few seconds the whole valley was engulfed in flames. The production of eruptive oil well No. 3 Concordia at the time was 20 wagon/hour ( 200 tons of oil per hour ) . Soon oil pits were was stored 7000 to 8000 tons of oil caught fire. Another well of Colombia Company, oil well No. 1 COL Moreni Sud, was ignited. A number of 4 oil wells in drilling, from Romano-Americana Company, were also destroyed. The drilling of well 2 Bis SP RA Moreni Sud was finalized in 1914. This well caught fire and was destroyed by the 1929 blast of 160 RA.

Well Name	Spud Date	Depth
1 COL Moreni Sud	1912	633
2 COL Moreni Sud	1914	689
2 Bis SP RA Moreni Sud	1912	575
3 CC COL Moreni Sud	1912	650
58 SP RA Moreni Sud	1912	788
59 RA Moreni Sud	1912	661
61 RA Moreni Sud	1912	664

The production of oil well No. 1 COL Moreni Sud was 1000 tons of oil per day for 10 month until the next fire that affected the well, on October 1913.