On Saturday, November 20, 2010, Whiting Petroleum Corporation was in the process of performing completion operations on the Roggenbuck 14-25H, a horizontal Bakken well located approximately eight miles northwest of Newtown, North Dakota, when a valve near the wellhead failed. This resulted in water, oil and natural gas flowing from the well.

Whiting immediately shut down operations and evacuated the location. There were no injuries as safety procedures were immediately put into action to protect employees, contractors and the environment.

State and local authorities were immediately notified. Wild Well Control, Inc., a firm specializing in control of such incidents, is on site in North Dakota and is implementing a plan to control the well.

Whiting's trained personnel and its contractors are presently engaged in operations that have contained the liquids being produced. These liquids are being hauled from the well site.

Tags: Whiting Petroleum Corporation