MOSCOW, March 13 (UPI) -- A Russian emergency agency said Wednesday at least eight workers were injured in an explosion at a natural gas field in the Yamal Peninsula.
The Yamal Emergency Ministry said there was an "uncontrolled boom" at the arctic Bovanenkovo natural gas field, the largest such field in Russia.
"Emergencies officials were not immediately available to provide further information, though the initial description of the accident made it sound like a blowout," reports state-run news agency RIA Novosti.
Russian energy company Gazprom estimates the natural gas from the Yamal Peninsula could eventually account for 25 percent of the gas monopoly's output.
In October, started Gazprom started production from Bovanenkovo. It's expected to produce an estimated 1.6 trillion cubic feet of natural gas by next year, the Russian news agency stated.
Gazprom in January said it set up a joint venture with independent gas producer Novatek for the production of liquefied natural gas from the Yamal Peninsula.
There was no immediate comment available from Gazprom. Injuries from the incident were reported as minor and no evacuations were planned.
