RICHMOND, Texas -- Firefighters in Richmond, Fort Bend County, are keeping a close eye on a natural gas leak, KPRC Local 2 reported Wednesday.

Louisiana Gas Development Corp. had a cased-hole well blowout Tuesday at about 10:30 a.m. near the intersection of Pitts Road at Highway 90.

The well is releasing natural gas, salt water and sand, which is spewing 50 feet in the air, officials said.

The site is being monitored 24 hours a day.

Company officials said the smell in the air is the salt water and sand.

The leak is expected to take a couple of days to get under control.

Firefighters asked nearby residents to stay inside their homes and limit outside activities as a precaution.

Authorities are monitoring air quality and said there is no danger to the public.

Company Statement

At approximately 10:30 a.m. (Tuesday) morning, Louisiana Gas Development Corporation (LGDC) experienced a cased-hole well blow-out on the Dom Pier Mix #1 well in Fort Bend County, Texas, near the intersection of Highway 90 and Pitts Road. Absolutely no fire and no injuries have been associated with this incident. Currently, a mixture of predominantly water and sand, as well as some natural gas is being blown up into the air approximately 50 to 60 feet. Wild Well Control Inc. is on-site to monitor air quality and to safely control and shut-in the well.

LGDC has notified all appropriate state and local agencies and is working closely with local emergency response professionals to bring the situation to a safe conclusion. The Richmond Fire Department is also on-site to help monitor and support the well control relief effort. According to Assistant Chief Mike Hafer of the Richmond Fire Department, no detectable levels of natural gas have been detected in the air that pose any danger to any homes, which are approximately 400 to 500 yards away. Therefore, there is no need for evacuations at this time.

LGDC, Wild Well Control and the Richmond Fire Department will continue to work together to monitor and resolve the situation as quickly as possible.