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Maryland Oil Field Accident and Injury Lawyer

While work in the oil and natural gas industries is dangerous by nature, basic safety precautions are highly effective when rules are observed and followed closely. When oil and gas companies choose to skirt or even violate safety regulations in order to prioritize profits ahead of safety, workers can pursue compensation when injuries result.
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Have you or a loved one suffered severe injuries in an oil field accident in Maryland? If so, you should contact our oil rig injury lawyers immediately for a free consultation. You may be entitled to seek compensation for lost wages by filing a personal injury lawsuit against oil and gas companies. An oil field injury lawyer can help you recover compensation.

The legal team of oilfield injury lawyers at Schmidt & Clark, LLP is dedicated to protecting the rights of injured oil rig workers and is one of the only firms with knowledge of maritime law willing to pursue justice in these practice areas in Maryland and throughout the entire United States.

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Oil and Gas Production in Maryland

To date, no economically recoverable crude oil reserves have been found in Maryland, and there are no petroleum refineries in the state. As a result, petroleum products must be transported to Maryland via pipeline from other states and by ship from abroad.

The Colonial Pipeline runs through Maryland on its way from the Gulf Coast to New York City and delivers refined gasoline, diesel, home heating oil, and jet fuel. Tankers from other countries deliver petroleum products to Baltimore’s deep-water port.

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Offshore Oil Field Prospects in Maryland

For years, there has been a battle over offshore oil exploration and drilling in Maryland. In April 2017, an executive order re-opened areas off the coast of Maryland, including Ocean City and Assateague Island National Seashore.

During the Obama administration, a plan to lease 3 million acres off the mid-Atlantic coast to offshore drilling for oil and natural gas reserves was halted. Under President Trump, Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke sought to expand offshore drilling for oil and gas in the region more than what was initially anticipated before the Obama administration moratorium.

Natural Gas Exploration in Maryland

The first natural gas exploration well in Maryland was drilled in 1888 in the Cumberland Narrows, northwest of the town of Cumberland. In 1944, a well drilled on the Accident Dome in Garrett County found the first evidence of natural gas in the state; however, saltwater in the well made gas production difficult and the well was abandoned. Natural gas was later discovered in 4 fields in the Appalachian region of Maryland. In 1999, the annual production of gas in Maryland was 16,506,000 cubic feet drawn from 8 wells, down from a record high of 4,543,058,000 cubic feet in 1959.

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Maryland Energy Use

Maryland’s total per capita petroleum consumption is the 4th lowest in the U.S., following New York, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts. About 80% of the petroleum used in Maryland is consumed by the transportation sector. The industrial sector accounts for about 6% of the state’s petroleum consumption, and the commercial and residential sectors each use about 5%. A small amount of petroleum is used to generate electricity.

Is There Fracking in Maryland?

The practice of hydraulic fracturing, also known as fracking, has been banned since March 2017 when the Maryland General Assembly passed House Bill 1325. In doing so, Maryland became the first state in the U.S. with proven gas reserves to ban fracking by legislative action. This ban expressly prohibited the direct action of fracking in the state of Maryland.

Oil Production in Appalachia

The Appalachian region, which includes Maryland and 8 other states, is known for being rich in natural resources including oil, gas, and coal. From the mid-1800s through the early 1900s, the Appalachian basin was the main oil-generating location in the United States. In 2012, the basin produced natural gas at a rate of 7.8 billion cubic ft per day. By 2017, that quantity was increased to roughly 23.8 billion cubic ft per day.

Causes of Offshore Oil Field Accidents

Offshore oil exploration and production involve significant risks for workers in the industry. Exploration requires the use of heavy machinery, and production requires the construction of offshore facilities to extract and store crude oil.

Offshore rigs also pose serious hazards to the men and women who work on and around the facilities. The deaths of 11 workers in 2010 on the Deepwater Horizon rig are a reminder of the dangers of offshore oil drilling.

Even when employers follow safety protocols and keep working conditions as safe as they can, accidents happen. Accidents specific to offshore oilfields are also specific to the maritime environment and the unique infrastructure of offshore oilfield facilities. Accidents occur on oil rigs, on a fixed platform, during pipeline transportation, and from problems with the “dynamic positioning” of vessels.

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Have you or a loved one been injured in an accident due to the negligence of others?

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The personal injury lawyers at Schmidt & Clark, LLP have experience dealing with the rights of American oilfield workers, and we are one of the only firms willing to handle oilfield workplace accidents in Maryland and throughout the entire United States.

Again, if you or a loved one has been seriously injured in an oilfield accident in Maryland, you should contact our oil field accident attorney immediately by using the form below or calling our law firm toll-free 24 hrs/day by dialing (866) 588-0600 to schedule a free case review and legal options.

Clients may be able to recover fair compensation for medical expenses from an oil company in a lawsuit and a personal injury lawyer can help.

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