Vandals strike Cyril drilling fluid plant

CYRIL – Cleanup work continues at a Cyril drilling fluid plant after vandals released more than 5,900 barrels, or 248,000 gallons, of the leaked chemical overnight Tuesday, according to an Oklahoma Corporation Commission spokesman.

Suspects broke into Stellar Drilling Fluids by cutting a hole in the security fence and then opened the valves to the pipeline and tanks that surrounded the plant, OCC spokesman Matt Skinner said. Diesel fuel is considered a primary ingredient in the fluid.

The fluid is not considered toxic, but could have a negative impact on the environment, Skinner said. The company has hired an environmental contractor to handle the cleanup, which includes digging pits to capture some of the fluid and collecting more fluid by using high-powered vacuums.

In the meantime, Cyril city officials have announced that Keechi Trail and park will be closed until further notice because of the contamination. Skinner said the city’s drinking water has not been compromised.

“Right now, it’s a case of so far, so good,” he said.

The corporation commission will continue to monitor the cleanup until its completion, Skinner said.

Caddo County Sheriff Spencer Davis could not be reached for comment Wednesday night.

The Cyril site is one of three mud plants the company owns and is one of five warehouses in the Oklahoma-Texas region.