The U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB), which investigates industrial chemical accidents, said in a report published earlier this week that the well operator and its contractors failed to implement required well control measures at the Wendland Well in Texas. Operated by Oklahoma-based Chesapeake Energy, the Wendland Well caught fire in January 2020 and led to three fatalities, the first in Texas involving a blowout since April 2013. "Ultimately, a lack of established safety practices was a significant factor in this incident," said investigator-in-charge Harold Griffin at CSB.