Oilfield accident in Mesa: hurt on a rig away from home or on a gas line here

Mesa has no oilfield work. Arizona has no proved oil or gas reserves, and its small production comes from the Navajo Nation. If you live here and were hurt on a rig elsewhere, Arizona comp can still apply. Your comp claim is due within 1 year.

Last checked November 9, 2026 · Official sources (34)

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Road map of Mesa, a city with no oil or gas wells, showing the street grid served by the city's natural gas system
Arizona comp can cover Mesa workers hurt on out-of-state rigs. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Are there oilfield jobs in Mesa?

No. The U.S. Department of Energy says Arizona has no proved oil or natural gas reserves. State regulators told it that all current production comes from the Navajo Nation, in the northeast of the state. You can see every well and permit on the state's map. The Arizona Oil and Gas Conservation Commission answers at 602-771-4501. Nothing we found puts a working oil well in or near Mesa.

So why does this page exist? Because people from Mesa work rigs in other states and come home hurt. And Mesa does have gas pipelines, with their own kind of danger. Those are the two cases below. If you were hurt at a construction site or plant in Mesa, our work injury and construction pages for Mesa will fit better.

I live in Mesa and got hurt on a rig out of state. Which comp applies?

Maybe more than one. Arizona law says a worker hired or regularly employed in this state gets compensation under Arizona law even if the injury happened outside Arizona. Texas or New Mexico may also have a say, depending on where you were hired and based. Ask a lawyer before you pick. The state you file in can change your benefits and your deadlines.

Question to answerWhy it matters
Where did you sign on?Being hired in Arizona helps you claim here
Who pays your check?The rig contractor, a staffing firm and the operator can all be different companies
Were you driving when it happened?Road crashes are the top killer in oil and gas work, and a company truck adds insurance
Was there gas exposure?Hydrogen sulfide is a leading cause of workplace gas deaths

To file in Arizona, go to the Industrial Commission's Claims Division in Phoenix. It charges no fee. You can sign a report at the doctor or file your own claim, and the form comes in Spanish. The claim is due within 1 year.

Can I sue anyone besides my employer after a rig injury?

Against your own employer, comp is generally all you can claim. But oil sites are full of other companies. Arizona lets you claim against someone who is not in the same employ. That may be the well operator, an equipment maker or a service crew.

Watch the deadline. In Arizona, you must sue that outside party within 1 year or the claim moves to the comp insurer. That is half the time most people expect, and another state's law may apply if the rig was there. If you are also getting comp, benefits continue while you pursue the third party.

Federal safety records can help. Search OSHA's establishment tool to see which citations an employer has. OSHA cannot cite incidents more than 6 months old, and a retaliation complaint has only 30 days.

What if a gas line hurt me in Mesa?

Mesa runs its own gas utility. It serves over 82,000 homes and businesses across 95 square miles. The city says leaks can come from third-party damage, natural disasters, vandalism or corrosion. The city publishes service area maps, so check your bill or the map to learn who owns the line near you.

  1. Get away from the smell, then call 911 and the city's gas emergency line at 480-644-4277.
  2. Go to a trauma center if you are burned or hurt. In Mesa, the Level I option is Banner Desert.
  3. Ask for the investigation. The state Office of Pipeline Safety looks into pipeline incidents to find the cause.
  4. If a contractor dug into the line, ask whether it called first. The same office enforces the Arizona 811 digging law.
  5. If the City of Mesa owned the line, file a notice of claim with the City Clerk within 180 days.
  6. State a specific amount and the facts behind it, and sue within one year if it is denied.

If you were on the job when it happened, your employer's comp may pay first, and an outside party such as the contractor may also owe you. Arizona employers must report work deaths to ADOSH within 8 hours, and hospitalizations or amputations within 24 hours. ADOSH answers at (602) 542-5795.

Questions

Is there any oil drilling near Mesa?

We found none. All current Arizona production comes from the Navajo Nation.

I got hurt in Texas but live in Mesa. Can I file in Arizona?

If you were hired or regularly employed in Arizona, Arizona comp can apply even for an injury out of state. Ask a lawyer to compare the states.

How long do I have for an Arizona comp claim?

1 year. A suit against a third party under Arizona law must also be filed within 1 year.

Who investigates a gas explosion in Mesa?

The state's Office of Pipeline Safety investigates pipeline incidents. Mesa Police may handle any related crime.

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Sources (34)

  1. U.S. Department of Energy, checked 2026-11-09. “Arizona has no proved oil reserves nor natural gas reserves.”
  2. U.S. Department of Energy, checked 2026-11-09. “all current oil and gas production originates from the Navajo Nation”
  3. A.R.S. 23-904, checked 2026-11-09. “the worker is entitled to compensation according to the laws of this state even if the injury was received outside this state.”
  4. A.R.S. 23-1061, checked 2026-11-09. “in writing within one year after the injury occurred or the right thereto accrued”
  5. A.R.S. 23-1023, checked 2026-11-09. “by instituting an action within one year after the cause of action accrues”
  6. A.R.S. 23-1023, checked 2026-11-09. “the claim against the other person is deemed assigned to the insurance carrier or self-insured employer”
  7. City of Mesa Energy Resources, checked 2026-11-09. “If a gas leak is suspected, call 9-1-1 (911) and our gas emergency line at 480-644-4277”
  8. Arizona Oil & Gas Conservation Commission, checked 2026-11-09. “We offer a map that shows all of the Oil and Gas wells and permits within Arizona”
  9. Arizona Oil & Gas Conservation Commission, checked 2026-11-09. “PH: 602-771-4501”
  10. OSHA, checked 2026-11-09. “Highway vehicle crashes are the leading cause of oil and gas extraction worker fatalities.”
  11. OSHA, checked 2026-11-09. “Hydrogen sulfide is one of the leading causes of workplace gas inhalation deaths in the United States.”
  12. Industrial Commission of Arizona, Worker's Report of Injury, checked 2026-11-08. “Phoenix: 800 W Washington St, Phoenix AZ 85007 - Phone: (602) 542-4661”
  13. Industrial Commission of Arizona, Injured Worker, checked 2026-11-08. “The Industrial Commission of Arizona does not charge a fee to process a workplace injury claim.”
  14. Industrial Commission of Arizona, Worker's Report of Injury Form, checked 2026-11-08. “by filling out and signing a Worker's and Physician's Report of Injury at the doctor’s office”
  15. Industrial Commission of Arizona, Injured Worker, checked 2026-11-08. “Formulario de informe de lesión del trabajador - 407”
  16. A.R.S. 23-1022, checked 2026-11-09. “is the exclusive remedy against the employer or any co-employee acting in the scope of his employment”
  17. A.R.S. 23-1023, checked 2026-11-09. “by the negligence or wrong of another person not in the same employ”
  18. A.R.S. 23-1023, checked 2026-11-09. “If the employee proceeds against the other person, compensation and medical, surgical and hospital benefits shall be paid as provided in this chapter”
  19. OSHA Establishment Search, checked 2026-11-09. “You can now find citation information for violations that Federal OSHA has cited.”
  20. OSHA, checked 2026-11-09. “OSHA can not issue violations for safety and health incidents that occurred more than six months prior”
  21. OSHA, checked 2026-11-09. “you can file a whistleblower complaint within 30 days of the retaliation”
  22. City of Mesa Energy Resources, checked 2026-11-09. “We provide natural gas service to over 82,000 homes and businesses in 95 square miles of Mesa”
  23. City of Mesa Energy Resources, checked 2026-11-09. “occasional pipeline leaks can result from third-party damages, natural disasters, vandalism, or corrosion.”
  24. Arizona DHS, State Designated Trauma Centers, checked 2026-11-08. “Banner Desert Medical Center 1400 South Dobson Rd., Meza, AZ 85202 06/10/24 06/10/27”
  25. Arizona Corporation Commission, checked 2026-11-09. “conduct investigations of pipeline incidents for the purpose of determining the cause and prevention of similar incidents.”
  26. Arizona Corporation Commission, checked 2026-11-09. “as codified in the Arizona Underground Facilities Law (Arizona 811).”
  27. A.R.S. § 12-821.01, checked 2026-11-08. “within one hundred eighty days after the cause of action accrues”
  28. City of Mesa, Claim Form (updated 08/03/2026), checked 2026-11-08. “shall file the claim with the Mesa City Clerk within 180 days after the claim accrues.”
  29. Arizona Revised Statutes 12-821.01, checked 2026-11-09. “The claim shall also contain a specific amount for which the claim can be settled and the facts supporting that amount.”
  30. A.R.S. § 12-821, checked 2026-11-08. “shall be brought within one year after the cause of action accrues and not afterward”
  31. ADOSH, How to Report a Workplace Fatality, checked 2026-11-09. “All work-related fatalities within 8 hours following the incident.”
  32. ADOSH, How to Report a Workplace Fatality, checked 2026-11-09. “All work-related inpatient hospitalizations, all amputations, and all losses of an eye within 24 hours.”
  33. Industrial Commission of Arizona, ADOSH Complaints, checked 2026-11-08. “Phone: (602) 542-5795 Toll Free: (855) 268-5251”
  34. Arizona DPS, Request Records, checked 2026-11-08. “If the report you are requesting was the result of a collision that occurred on a town, city or county road, contact the law enforcement agency in that jurisdiction.”

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