An energy company has not yet found the source of a gas-like odor that shut down a school near its oil field in Natrona County.
Students and staff at Midwest School first smelled what they thought was natural gas last Wednesday. The school was closed on Thursday. Fleur De Lis Energy, which runs the nearby Salt Creek oil field, says employees have been working around the clock trying to find the source of the smell since.
“They’ve been up there with the crews working and testing and trying to figure out what’s going on,” says Natrona County School District spokesman Kelly Eastes. “And I think they were joined by someone from the DEQ to try to get a determination on what all’s going on out there. They want to try to fix it as quickly as possible.”
Fleur de Lis says it has not detected any hydrogen sulfide—an extremely flammable and toxic gas that can cause headaches, eye irritation or even death.
Midwest is a K-12 school with 140 students. Students will finish the out the school year, which ends next week, at the old North Casper Elementary School. Other entities have also helped out.
“Casper College was kind enough to offer up their Wheeler Auditorium on Sunday for the graduation for those Midwest kids,” says Eastes.
The school year ends on June 7th. Fleur de Lis Energy says gas analysis will continue until the issue is resolved.