Two men who were seriously injured in an explosion at an orphan oil and gas well in Washington County, Ohio, earlier this year have died from their wounds, officials confirmed this week. The victims, identified as Chris Pinkerton, 48, of Woodsfield, and Chris Starkey, 42, of Zanesville, were employed by drilling and cementing contractors working to plug the Farnsworth #4 well in Independence Township when the blast occurred on August 25. Pinkerton died on December fourteen at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, while Starkey had earlier passed away on October three after being treated at the same hospital. 

The explosion at the orphan well — a site with no known owner that the state had contracted to be sealed — injured six workers. An Ohio Department of Natural Resources inspector on site was also hurt but released from hospital soon after, and several other injured workers remain in care. The state’s investigation, released in November, found that a sudden influx of natural gas and crude oil, known as a “kick,” caused the blowout that ignited and engulfed the site in flames. Investigators determined that failures in primary and secondary well control barriers were central to the loss of control and explosion.

The Ohio Oil and Gas Association and partner organisations have rallied support for the families of those affected, raising nearly one hundred thousand dollars to assist with medical and related expenses. The incident has prompted renewed emphasis on safety protocols in orphan well plugging operations, with regulators amending work scopes, increasing safety training and developing new inspector processes to ensure compliance with stringent control measures. Efforts are also underway to improve communication capabilities on remote well sites where phone service is often unavailable. 

Orphan wells have been a focus of state environmental and public safety efforts, with Ohio investing significant resources in identifying and plugging abandoned wells that pose risks to ecosystems and communities. The tragic deaths of Pinkerton and Starkey have brought attention to the hazards inherent in this work, even as authorities strive to make such operations safer. Ongoing investigation and regulatory reviews are expected to inform updated industry practices and bolster preventive measures in future well plugging projects.