PRUD’HOMME, Sask. – Crews are planning to carry out a dangerous procedure at the TransGas site near Prud’homme, Sask. where a natural gas fire burned for nearly a week.
SaskEnergy officials say a new wellhead is in place at the pumping station northeast of Saskatoon and gas is venting through the replacement.
Crews have been dumping water into the cavern to force the gas down.
A rig has now been set up to lower two bridge plugs into the well. One will be placed 825 metres down with the other placed at 850 metres.
Road barriers in the area remain in place and people living in the area are still not allowed to return home.
SaskEnergy says safety is a priority and residents in the immediate area remain under an evacuation order.
“We are working with them if they do need to get into their homes for a brief period of time to grab anything that they may have left behind that they need,” said SaskEnergy spokesperson Casey MacLead.
“Hopefully we’re on the home stretch of getting this thing completely contained and everyone safely back in their homes.”
If all goes well, residents could return home Sunday evening.
The fire started on Oct. 11 after a natural gas release and fire from one of the seven storage caverns at the facility.
Watch below: raw footage of the natural gas fire on Oct. 11 near Saskatoon
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