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The Department of Justice has announced that a Texas oil executive has pleaded guilty to federal charges after a deadly gas leak killed an oilfield worker and his wife.
Some shit you should know before you read: Back in 2019, Jacob Dean and his wife Natalee died at the Aghorn Energy facility in Odessa, Texas, when deadly hydrogen sulfide gas killed them. Jacob was initially sent to inspect a malfunctioning injection well—used to pump fracking wastewater back underground—when he was exposed to the toxic gas inside the pump house. After he failed to return home and couldn’t be reached, Natalee drove to the site with their children to search for him. Upon entering the facility, she was also killed by the gas and died.
What’s going on now: After a multiyear federal investigation, the DOJ announced that Aghorn Energy vice president Trent Day pleaded guilty to violating the Clean Air Act for failing to control the release of hydrogen sulfide gas at the company’s Odessa facility. Prosecutors accused Day of knowingly placing others in imminent danger of death by neglecting safety responsibilities that could have prevented the fatal exposure.
According to the DOJ, Day admitted that he failed to take steps to prevent the release of hydrogen sulfide, such as implementing safety protocols and maintaining equipment properly.
As part of his plea agreement, Day will serve five months in federal prison. Aghorn Operating Inc., the company he helped lead, also pleaded guilty to criminal charges, including willful violations of the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) for failing to implement a respiratory protection program. The company was fined $1 million and will be required to maintain safety improvements implemented after the incident throughout a period of probation.
Additionally, Kodiak Roustabout Inc., a contractor hired to perform well integrity testing, pleaded guilty to felony violations of the Safe Drinking Water Act after submitting falsified test data to Texas regulators. Kodiak was fined $400,000 and must ensure that an independent third party witnesses or conducts 33 well tests over the next year.
In a statement, Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson said, “Through these guilty pleas, the defendants accept responsibility for allowing hazards that should have been prevented. If they had done what the law requires, Jacob and Natalee might still be with us today. The Justice Department can’t stand by when employers put workers at such risk.”
EPA Acting Assistant Administrator Jeffrey Hall added, “Operators who gravely endanger and kill others and those who lie to the government will be held accountable for their criminal conduct. EPA’s criminal investigation of these tragic deaths led to today’s plea deal.”
