Product Description
Halliburton (and competitor cementing houses) allegedly sold and used loose chrysotile asbestos fiber as a lost-circulation and thixotropic additive in oil-well cement slurries, according to publicly filed asbestos litigation records. The fiber allegedly shipped in paper bags and was allegedly torn open and dumped directly into the open mixing hopper of a cementing unit, allegedly generating a visible cloud of raw asbestos fiber in the pumper’s breathing zone during every squeeze and primary cement job that called for it.
Workers Exposed
Cementing pumpers and hopper operators allegedly poured the bagged fiber. Mud engineers allegedly specified the additive and stood on the rig floor during the job. Roughnecks and derrickmen allegedly worked downwind of the mixing hopper throughout pumping operations. Warehouse and yard hands allegedly handled the torn and dusty bags at the district office.