Macondo 'Hellfighters' to the rescue in N.Sea leak

Wild Well Control, a company that helped tackle the Gulf of Mexico oil spill and Kuwait's raging oil fires, have joined efforts to avert disaster at a leaking gas platform off Scotland, rig operator Total said.

Firefighters and engineers from the Houston-based company are experts at disasters such as oil rig explosions and have been dubbed 'Hellfighters' by Hollywood.

The firm was hired along with Britain's Oil Spill Response, Total said this week, after a gas leak began last Sunday aboard its Elgin platform some 240 km (150 miles) off the east coast of Scotland.
Wild Well Control was not immediately available for comment.

Oil Spill Response declined to comment, citing confidentiality between itself and clients.

Wild Well Control in 2010 helped BP fight a spill in the Gulf of Mexico following an explosion at the Deepwater Horizon platform which killed 11 workers.

The ruptured Macondo well unleashed millions of barrels of oil and led to BP pledging an estimated payout of $7.8 billion to businesses and individuals.

Wild Well Control was also one of the companies called in by Kuwait Oil Company in 1991 to regain control of oil well fires set by Iraqi troops during the first Gulf War.

Their action was documented in the film 'Fires of Kuwait'.

They worked there alongside Red Adair, arguably the most famous well fire fighter.

The film 'Hellfighters', starring John Wayne, was based on his firefighting in Algeria in 1962.

Source: XE News