Gas Gushes From Assam ONGC Well For 2nd Day, Ops To Control Flow Continue

Efforts to control the uncontrollable flow of gas from a crude well of energy major Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) in Assam's Sivasagar district for the second day after a blowout.

The blowout was noticed during servicing operations on Thursday at Well No RDS 147A of Rig No SKP 135 of Rudrasagar oil field of ONGC, located in Bhatiapar. A private firm SK Petro Services was operating the well on behalf of the state-run Maharatna company. The sound of gas emissions was heard as far as 304 kilometres away, creating panic among villagers who fled to safety.

The ONGC team immediately activated safety protocols and secured the site.

A day later, the well has not caught fire, but the flow of gas continues. The ONGC is laying out the necessary equipment for bringing the well under control and reinforcement teams and technical specialists are working to ensure safe and swift normalisation of the well operations.

"The required fluids for the subdue operation have been made ready and the next step in the operation is expected to start at daybreak tomorrow. In view of the presence of gas, entry to the location is being restricted to the concerned operational personnel only," per an ONGC statement.

This ONGC incident reminded people of the worst industrial disaster of the Northeast in 2020, when an OIL well blowout took away the lives of three employees of the PSU major and injured several others. The well no 5 at Baghjan in Tinsukia district spewed gas uncontrollably for 173 days since May 27 and it caught fire on June 9, 2020.

In a multi-agency effort, the damaged gas well at Baghjan in Assam was 'killed' and the blaze was fully doused on November 15, followed by abandoning of the well on December 3 in 2020 after completing all steps to control it.