MDM Energy's Illinois tank battery facility destroyed after explosion

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[September 22, 2015]  (Reuters) - MDM Energy on Monday said its tank battery facility in Effingham County, Illinois, was destroyed after a fire following an explosion, and the company said it suspects foul play.

Earlier, fire officials said an explosion in a crude oil well at the facility was contained on Sunday evening.

No oil rigs were involved in the incident and no employees were present at the time of the explosion, which was recently upgraded for new oil wells, MDM Energy, a privately held, Texas-based company, said.

After fire officials had extinguished the first explosion, there was another fire that after about an hour destroyed the facility completely, MDM's chief executive, Michael Rafael, said in an email.

Security camera footage is being reviewed as foul play is suspected, he said, adding there was no environmental damage.

There were no injuries or crude oil leaks from the incident, Watson Township Fire Department Chief Matt Kulesza said.

The explosion was also reported by the fire department in a filing with Illinois Emergency Management Agency, noting that the fire had been put out.

(Reporting by Nallur Sethuraman and Vijaykumar Vedala in Bengaluru; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe and Leslie Adler)

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