Fatal oil-tank blast in Utah tied to welding

Published May 8, 2013 11:51pm ET



SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A welder died after sparking an explosion while using his torch on a crude oil storage tank at an eastern Utah well site, the state’s largest oil producer told regulators.

Newfield Exploration Co. notified the Utah Division of Oil, Gas & Mining that the blast Tuesday night occurred during routine maintenance and killed a contract worker, said Jim Springer, a spokesman for the state agency. Another man was injured.

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