# Exactly what is involved in putting out an oilwell fire...

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exactly-what-is-involved-in-putting-out-an-oilwell-fire/164273>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 26, 2003, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exactly-what-is-involved-in-putting-out-an-oilwell-fire/164273 "2003-03-26T12:13:50Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\
**Post date:** [March 26, 2003, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exactly-what-is-involved-in-putting-out-an-oilwell-fire/164273/1 "2003-03-26T12:13:50Z")

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…or, for that matter, capping a new well?

My impression is that (in at least some cases), the oil is coming out of the well under pressure; is putting out the fire only part of the problem?

Also, is it common for oil wells to keep on producing under pressure, or is it always the case that fluid must be pumped in to maintain it?

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**Author:** ![andy\_fl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/49beb7/32.png) [@andy\_fl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andy_fl)\
**Post date:** [March 26, 2003, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exactly-what-is-involved-in-putting-out-an-oilwell-fire/164273/2 "2003-03-26T12:53:54Z")

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More info [here](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A16292-2003Mar23.html).

Putting out the fire AND putting a cap on the well - those are two things primarily. The fire is put out in many ways - lots of water / foam / Solid CO2 / explosives are used.

To your second question - most oil wells start out under pressure. Near the end of the life of an oil well the pressure drops and need external means to raise the pressure inside to remove the remaining oil.

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**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\
**Post date:** [March 26, 2003, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exactly-what-is-involved-in-putting-out-an-oilwell-fire/164273/3 "2003-03-26T12:54:40Z")

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[This site](http://www.jwco.com/technical-litterature/p09.htm) goes into some of the background and extinguishing methods for blow outs and other oil well fires.

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**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\
**Post date:** [March 26, 2003, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exactly-what-is-involved-in-putting-out-an-oilwell-fire/164273/4 "2003-03-26T15:12:43Z")

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If you can find an Imax theatre in your area playing it, [Fires of Kuwait](http://us.imdb.com/Title?0104275) is an excellent documentary which shows exactly how the oil well fires are extinguished.

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**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\
**Post date:** [March 26, 2003, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exactly-what-is-involved-in-putting-out-an-oilwell-fire/164273/5 "2003-03-26T15:13:55Z")

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Oh, I should add that the documentary is apparently available on video now as well, so check your local rental store.