SIVASAGAR, June 21: ONGC on Saturday said that “significant headway” has been made to control the leakage of gas from its crude oil well in Assam’s Sivasagar district, with the flow rate of gas reduced substantially.
An international expert team from USA, which conducted a preliminary assessment of the situation, is in agreement with the strategy and execution being carried out by ONGC so far, it said in a statement.
The blowout took place on June 12 at Well No RDS 147A of Rig No SKP 135 of Rudrasagar oil field of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) at Barichuk of Bhatiapar. A private firm, SK Petro Services, was operating the well on behalf of the state-run Maharatna company.
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“Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC) has made significant headway in its well control operations at RDS#147A, with the flow rate of gas having reduced substantially, marking a critical step forward in containment efforts,” the statement said.
It said that the international expert team from CUDD Pressure Control, USA, who arrived on site on Friday, has conducted a preliminary assessment of the situation and reviewed all actions undertaken by ONGC teams so far.
The experts have expressed their agreement with the strategy and execution carried out to date, reaffirming the effectiveness of ONGC’s approach to safely managing the well, it added.
Based on the forward plan jointly developed, extensive site preparations are underway to facilitate the next phase of action.
The process of removing tubulars from the well has commenced, and mobilisation of cranes for the removal of tubing from the rig floor is currently in progress.
Water blanketing continues around the clock as a key safety measure, the statement said.
Flood-level monitoring of the nearby Dikhow River has also been continuing, ensuring all operations are aligned with environmental and safety protocols.
ONGC is also continuously monitoring the Low Explosive Limit (LEL) levels of air around the well site through real-time gas detectors to ensure safety.
Medical assistance is being provided at the relief camp for people evacuated due to the blowout to support all those in need, the statement added.
More than 330 families from surrounding villages have been evacuated from their homes and are being supported with basic relief and safety measures at a camp set up in nearby Bangaon.
The Assam government has already announced financial aid of Rs 25,000 each to the families affected by the blowout.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had said on Friday that ONGC authorities have informed him that the entire crude oil well from where gas was leaking will be capped.
He said assessment of damage and compensation payment will be jointly carried out by ONGC and district administration, with the energy major assuring of providing adequate compensation to the affected people.
An official of ONGC had earlier said that it was an old crude well without production and a perforation job was going on for zone transfer at the time of the blowout.
“It is a kind of servicing of the well. The production was supposed to start from a new zone after the perforation job. At the time of the incident, the logging perforation operation was going on. Suddenly gas started coming out in an uncontrolled manner immediately after the perforation, leading to the blowout,” he had said. (PTI)
