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 Wisconsin and throughout the entire United States.
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Is There Oil in Wisconsin?
Wisconsin currently has no crude oil production or proven reserves. However, high-quality sand mined in Southwestern Wisconsin is used in other states to enhance crude oil and natural gas recovery by propping fractures open via hydraulic fracturing, also known as fracking.
Oil Pipelines in Wisconsin
For a state without any production, a massive amount of oil flows beneath Wisconsin. Numerous pipelines crisscross the state and pump over 1.2 million barrels per day more than 1000 miles — representing one-fifth of all U.S. crude oil imports.
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What is the Line 5 Project in Wisconsin?
Line 5 is a 645-mile pipeline that transports oil and natural gas from Superior, Wisconsin, to Sarnia, Ontario. The pipeline was built in 1953 and is owned and operated by Enbridge Energy. Line 5 has ruptured at least 30 times since its inception, spilling over 1 million gallons of oil.
What is Tar Sands Oil?
Oil sands are a type of unconventional petroleum deposit consisting of either loose sands or partially consolidated sandstone and containing a naturally occurring mixture of sand, clay, and water, soaked with bitumen, a dense and extremely viscous form of petroleum.
Extracting bitumen from tar sands and refining it into products like gasoline is significantly more expensive and more difficult than producing liquid oil. Oil sands are also known as tar sands, crude bitumen, or bituminous sands.
Wisconsin Energy Profile Facts
- Wisconsin's industrial sector is the state's largest energy-consuming end-use sector. In 2020, industry accounted for nearly one-third of Wisconsin's total energy consumption.
- In 2021, coal plants accounted for 42% of Wisconsin's electricity net generation, down from a high of 82% in 1997.
- Natural gas-fueled 34% of Wisconsin's energy generation in 2021, over 3x larger than in 2011.
- In 2021, Wisconsin was 9th in the U.S. in fuel ethanol production capacity. Wisconsin’s 9 ethanol plants produce nearly 600 million gallons of fuel ethanol annually, more than double the amount consumed in the state.
- Wisconsin uses nearly 6x as much energy as it produces.
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Wisconsin Workplace Fatalities Down, But Risk Higher in Agriculture, Forestry Industries
The number of occupational fatalities in Wisconsin has dropped over the past several years, according to a report by the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations.
The report found that there were 5,190 workplace fatalities nationwide in 2021, with a rate of 3.6 fatal job injuries per 100,000 workers.
That rate increased from 2020 but returned to 2016 levels. Wisconsin's 2021 fatality rate was slightly lower than the national, at 3.4 deaths per 100,000 workers, according to the report.
The number of workplace fatalities in Wisconsin decreased from 114 in 2018. In 2021, 105 workers died on the job in the state. Of these:
- 21 were from assaults and violent acts;
- 36 resulted from transportation incidents;
- Four were caused by fires or explosions;
- 13 were from falls;
- 13 were due to exposures to harmful substances or environments;
- 18 were from contact with objects or equipment.
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See all the personal injury and accident lawsuits our lawyers have taken on.
Get a Free Lawsuit Evaluation With Our Wisconsin Oil Field Accident and Injury Lawyers
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 Wisconsin and throughout the entire United States.
Again, suppose you or a loved one has been seriously injured in an oilfield accident in Wisconsin. In that case, you should contact our oil field accident lawyers 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.