Paul Neal “Red” Adair (June 18, 1915 – August 7, 2004) was an American oil well firefighter. He became notable internationally as an innovator in the highly specialized and
hazardous profession of extinguishing and capping oil well blowouts
, both land-based and offshore.
How much money did Red Adair make?
Forbes magazine estimated that during his career, Adair netted
more than $100 million
.
What was Red Adair known for?
Red Adair, the
oil field firefighter
who was instrumental in capping Kuwaiti oil wells set ablaze by Iraq and whose life was the subject of a movie starring John Wayne, died Saturday in a Houston hospital. He was 89. The death was a result of natural causes, his daughter, Robyn Adair, told The Associated Press.
How much did Red Adair make in Kuwait?
Members of his crew reportedly earned
$7,000 to $10,000 a day
while on the job. Among Mr. Adair’s most noted achievements was his taming of Kuwaiti oil fires set by Iraq’s retreating army at the end of the Persian Gulf war of 1991. The blazes flared in some 600 of Kuwait’s 1,000 wells, and Mr.
Is Red Adair still in business?
(
Red
)
Adair
, who has been battling oil well fires for 35 years, has sold his
business
and is retiring from daily operations, company officials announced today. Global Industries Ltd., based in Lafayette, La., said it had acquired the assets of the
Red Adair
Company, which was founded in 1959. Mr.
How many fires did Red Adair put?
In a career spent battling
some 2,000 oil well
fires, Adair cut a heroic figure in his trademark red overalls.
Did Red Adair have red hair?
On June 18, 1915, Paul Neal “Red” Adair first saw the light of day
in Houston, Texas
. … His thick thatch of bright red hair early earned him the name “Red,” a title destined to follow him throughout his life. Adair grew up poor and quit school in his teenage years to help support the family.
Did Red Adair appear in hellfighters?
Some scenes from “Hellfighters,” which starred John Wayne, were filmed
in 1968 in Wyoming
, where Red Adair was putting out blazing wells owned by Philip Anschutz. … In 1968, Anschutz, founder of Qwest and now among the richest men in the world, was 27 and running his family’s oil-drilling business.
Is Boots Hansen still alive?
Pioneering oil well firefighter Asger “Boots” Hansen, Jr. passed quietly at his home in Fort Myers, Florida on June 16, 2019 at age 93, according to an obituary posted by a Florida funeral home.
Why did they burn the oil wells in Iraq?
It is also hypothesized that
Iraq decided to destroy the oil fields to achieve a military advantage
, believing the intense smoke plumes serving as smoke screens created by the burning oil wells would inhibit Coalition offensive air strikes, foil allied precision guided weapons and spy satellites, and could screen …
Who put out the fires in Kuwait?
On behalf of
the Kuwait Oil Company, Bechtel and an international team
took on the raging fires, managed the environmental restoration, and reconstructed the country’s oil production facilities. In just nine months, the team extinguished and capped 650 damaged or burning oil wells in Kuwait.
Are there still oil wells burning in Kuwait?
For comparison, the 2010 Deepwater Horizon spill into the Gulf of Mexico is estimated to have released nearly 5 million barrels of oil. Kuwait’s landscape has recovered somewhat. Clean up efforts have removed 21 million barrels of oil from the desert, but
an estimated 1 million barrels still remain
.
What was Red Adair Company called?
In 1993 Red Adair finally retired and sold the Red Adair Company. He then started
Adair Enterprises
as a consulting company that helped other firefighters. Many of Red’s firefighters went on to form their own companies after working for him.
How much do oil rig firefighters make?
The Petroleum Industry Human Resources Committee reports that firefighters in the oil and gas industry usually earn
between $45,000 and $85,000
.
How did Red Adair get his nickname?
But it was a large, poor family, and young Red – so nicknamed
for the colour of his hair – left Reagan high school early to take on various jobs before joining the Southern Pacific Railroad in 1936
. … Two years later he got his first oil job, for the Otis Pressure Control Co in the fields around Houston.
