Texas Oil Worker Dies After Falling Into Drilling Rig Pit

January 10, 2023 — An oil worker from Texas died after falling into a pit while working in North Dakota.

The 42-year-old man, Daniel Navarrete of New Braunfels, Texas, was a contractor working at an oil rig site in the western North Dakota oil patch.

Authorities said he fell through an open hatch in a pit at a drilling rig that was owned and operated by Devon Energy, according to Mountrail County Sheriff Corey Bristol. The pit held drilling fluids and other material.

Other workers tried to rescue him and even drained the pit, but life-saving measures failed and he was declared dead at the scene, according to The Bismarck Tribune.

Devon Energy said it is “devastated” by his death. “Safety is Devon’s priority and we have shut down drilling operations while we work with local law enforcement, OSHA and Nabors,” said a spokesman.

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