POLLUTION DUE TO UNCONTROLLED OIL WELL IN TABASCO AND VERACRUZ.

By José del Carmen Barrueta Chablé

The lack of control in a well is the most unwanted event in terms of oil activities, due to the
catastrophic consequences that can be triggered, such as loss of human lives, loss of the well
and the drilling equipment, as well as damage to the environment. (NRGI, 2018) well runaway
occurs when the formation pressure is greater than the control fluid pressure, which causes a
blowout, which cannot be managed at will. In oil wells, during the drilling, completion and
maintenance stages of these, there is a probability that an outbreak will be originated. This is
because of the imbalance between the formation pressure and the hydrostatic pressure of the
control fluid. From an event of this magnitude, contamination is imminent, and the subsoil and
aquifers are exposed to contamination.

Certainly, the pollution caused by uncontrolled oil well is a serious problem for the environment
since it irreversibly damages flora and fauna. The purpose of this essay is to make known that
lack of control in a well generates a great impact that contamination has on the environment,
and a method to minimize the environmental impact through remediation.

Firstly, the initial point to deal is about examples how the lack of control in drilling wells can
generate severe accidents. Last well uncontrolled leakage was in Santa Águeda well 223, July
4, 2022 Papantla, Veracruz. The hydrocarbon leak was recorded after the rupture in the main
line of the Santa Águeda 56 well, which was in the drilling stage in this municipality in Veracruz.
(XALAPA, 2022) It is important to highlight that PEMEX workers tried to maneuver the blow out
preventer; after several minutes, they partially closed the well, but the pressure of the
hydrocarbon caused 10 million liters of crude oil to spill. Likewise, the response plan was
applied with the presence of emergency personnel and units. However, due to the magnitude of
the spill and the rains during 9 days, the crude reached several natural tributaries, as well as the
contamination of the stream that is called San Pedro from which hundreds of families are
supplied for their personal needs and to feed their farm animals. Moreover, there were severe
damages to citrus and banana plantations, and their production was considered a total loss.
Thus, around 10 hectares were affected. (PLURAL, 2022) Eventually the Águeda 223 well was
brought under control after several days of hydrocarbon spillage.

Similarly, in the Terra 123 oil well, located in the municipality of Nacajuca, Tabasco, on October
27, 2013, during the drilling activities of the Terra Well, there were operational problems that
caused gas leaks and subsequent lack of control of the well. The flames of the fire reached up
to 500 meters high, and hydrocarbon fell as rain, which endangered other communities near
Nacajuca, such as El Sitio, La Isla, Belem, Chiflón and Oxiacaque. The explosion caused some
400 Chontal indigenous families who lived in the vicinity of the well had been affected because
their crops and pastures were lost, since the heat of the fire completely dried up the crops. (L.,
2013).In addition to agricultural activities, fishing was also suspended, even basic services such
as water had been suspended due to severe oil contamination.
The burning of fuel has caused respiratory illnesses in children, so Pemex and the government
of Tabasco sent medical staff to attend to the communities. However, the residents assure that
children have only been administered "paracetamol and naproxen”, despite the fact that many
had symptoms of asthma.

The fire from the Terra 123 well continued for 8 weeks, but it was monitored. The condensed
gas that was emitted from the well could present a greater risk of toxicity to people nearby in the
community. The fire was controlled months later as two relief wells were drilled so that the gas
and hydrocarbon condensate could vent through other gas pipeline lines, remaining controlled.
But the impact on the environment was terribly irreversible. (CORRESPOSAL, 2015)

The second point in this essay is environmental impact. Worldwide, pollution problems in soil,
water and air are mainly due to anthropogenic actions; among which it is the extraction of
natural resources such as hydrocarbons. (MEXICO, 2022) The most serious environmental
disasters that threaten biodiversity are oil spills in rivers, seas, oceans and of course the
ground. The way in which the oil spilled by the lack of control of a well affects the flora and
fauna is varied and complex. There is a wide range of responses of marine and terrestrial
organisms to oil, due to their great diversity; but mortality may occur from chronic intoxication.
Oil or any type of hydrocarbon, crude or refined, damages terrestrial ecosystems producing one
or more of the following effects: death of organisms by suffocation, destruction of young or
newborn organisms, decreased resistance or increased infections in species, especially animals
endemic to the area, since the absorption of certain sub-lethal amounts of oil, negative effects
on reproduction and spread to fauna and flora, destruction of food sources of higher species,
incorporation of carcinogens in the chain food. The type of soil (sand, silt and clay) and the
amount of existing organic matter determines the fate of petroleum hydrocarbons and the extent
of damage to plants. "Pollution by petroleum hydrocarbons has adverse effects on plants,
generating toxic minerals in the soil available to be absorbed, in addition, it leads to a
deterioration of the soil structure, loss of organic matter content and loss of mineral nutrients
from the soil, such as potassium, sodium, sulfate, phosphate, and nitrate”. Likewise, the soil is
exposed to leaching and erosion. The presence of these contaminants has resulted in loss of
soil fertility, poor crop yields, and possible detrimental consequences for humans and the entire
ecosystem. (MUNDO, 2010)

On the other hand, there are factors such as: relief, climate, regolith, vegetation,
microorganisms, and man, which their determination is very complex, and the grouping criterion
is constituted by the geomorphological landscape and the climate; therefore, each spill situation
is unique. Every affected area has its particularity, temperature, pH, humidity, type of soil, etc.;
and for which there is no universal recipe that allows us to carry out the same actions for all
cases of spills that occur.

For these types of oil spills, a technique called bioremediation is being applied, leading to our
third topic. Bioremediation is a mineralization process, which is also known as composting.
(ÑÚSTEZ CUARTAS, 2014)

This process is used to stabilize the residual sludge and from which humus is obtained as a
product, which acts as an improver of the physical characteristics of a soil.
That is, Bioremediation emerges as an eco-technological alternative to reduce or mitigate the
damage caused to the soil and water by spills of hydrocarbons.

This technology uses microorganisms, plants or enzymes strategically, in order to restore

environmental quality according to the needs and dimensions of the problem. There are main
strategies to get a bioremediation: biostimulation and bioaugmentation; biostimulation is being
defined as the addition of nutrients, mainly sources of nitrogen and phosphorus, to favor
microbial growth and development, as well as stimulation by means of addition of water, oxygen
and other elements that improve the development of microorganisms. On the other hand,
bioaugmentation is understood as the addition of endogenous or exogenous microorganisms to
a specific place (in this case, hydrocarbon degraders), in order to promote degradation and
reduce the time of the contaminants. The difference between a bioremediation and a physical or
chemical soil remediation lies in the duration time. (Site_name., 2022). The advantage of the
former is its compatibility with the environment; its disadvantage is the time it takes, in this
specific case it is projected for two years, although in the first startegy it is possible to see
results since the greatest removal of contaminants occurs during the first days. Finally, in this
sense, bioremediation can be faster and cheaper than current technology, based on physical
cleaning methods (skimmers, vacuum cleaners and on-site incineration) and chemical methods,
which are often toxic and poisonous for terrestrial life and groundwater. (MARTINEZ-PRADO,
2011).

This type of treatment is usually the most appropriate option for soil recovery, since it is not
necessary to prepare and excavate the contaminated material, but numerous factors must be
assessed, among which Highlights: Environmental impact in the area. industrial activities that
can affected verse. Comparative costs with other treatments. The difficulty of access to the
contaminated area for oxygen and nutrient supply. The determination of the percentage of
treatment. The speed of the process. The potential danger of spreading contamination. The “In
Situ” Bioremediation of Soils can be divided into two types: treatment of volatile compounds and
treatment of semi-volatile and non-volatile compounds. (SANTAS, 1997)

In conclusion, contamination from oil spills in uncontrolled wells is one of the worst scenarios we
can witness, since the force of nature makes us see how fragile we are in the face of such
magnitude. These spills leave a wave of death in both flora and fauna, and leave an uncertainty
in the environmental impact and in the people of how such a situation will affect them, although
different sanitation procedures are applied. Contamination will be in soil for 10 years in some
cases, this is where bioremediation comes in, which is a process that involves microorganisms
or plants, or their enzymes, to restore the natural environment to its original state after
contamination, since it obtains its first results two years after contamination happens. Thus,
bioremediation plays a crucial role in mitigating contamination from the oil spill.
 BIBLIOGRAPHY

El descontrol de pozos ¿un riesgo catastrófico? (2018, 17 abril). NRGI BROKER. Recuperado

10 de septiembre de 2022, de https://nrgibroker.com/el-descontrol-de-
pozosunriesgocatastrofico/#:%7E:text=El%20descontrol%20de%20un%20pozo,como%20da
%C3%B1os%20al%20medio%20ambiente. (NRGI, 2018; XALAPA, 2022)

DIGITAL PLURAL, D. P. (2022, 17 julio). Desastre ambiental durante 9 días, 10 millones de

litros derramados en Veracruz por fuga de PEMEX. Digital Plural. Recuperado 11 de
septiembre de 2022, de (PLURAL, 2022)

Redacción, L. (2013, 5 diciembre). Pozo de Pemex en Nacajuca lleva 37 días ardiendo. La

Jornada de Oriente. Recuperado 11 de septiembre de 2022, de (L. R. , 2013)

Corresponsal, P. H. (2015, 27 agosto). Personal de Pemex es desalojado del pozo Terra 123
en Tabasco. El Financiero. Recuperado 11 de septiembre de 2022, de (CORRESPOSAL, 2015)

Greenpeace México. 2022. Impactos ambientales del petróleo - Greenpeace México. [online]

Available at: <> [Accessed 13 September 2022]. (MEXICO, 2022)

Ñústez Cuartas, D. C., Paredes Cuervo, D., & Cubillos Vargas, J. (2014). Biorremediación para
la degradación de hidrocarburos totales presentes en los sedimentos de una estación de
servicio de combustible. Revista Técnica de La Facultad de Ingeniería Universidad Del
Zulia, 37(1), 20–28. http://ve.scielo.org/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0254-
07702014000100004 (ÑÚSTEZ CUARTAS, 2014)

Martínez-Prado, A., Pérez-López, M. E., Pinto-Espinoza, J., Gurrola-Nevárez, B. A., & Osorio-
Rodríguez, A. L. (2011). Biorremediación de suelo contaminado con hidrocarburos empleando
lodos residuales como fuente alterna de nutrientes. Revista Internacional de Contaminación
Ambiental, 27(3), 241–252. https://www.scielo.org.mx/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0188-
49992011000300009#:~:text=La%20biorremediaci%C3%B3n%20es%20un%20proceso
(MARTINEZ-PRADO, 2011)

Korda, A.; Santas, P.; Tenente, A. y Santas, R. (1997). Petroleum hydrocarbon bioremediation:
sampling and analytical techniques, in situ treatments and commercial microorganisms currently
used. Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 48: 677-686. (SANTAS, 1997)