State-run Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) has successfully capped a gas leak in an oil well in Assam’s Sivasagar district on June 27 morning, 16 days after the leakage, petroleum and natural gas minister Hardeep Singh Puri has said.
The blowout didn’t cause an death, injury or fire due, the minister said, praising ONGC’s crisis-management team and the international well-control experts.
A day earlier, ONGC said it achieved a breakthrough in controlling the gas leak. The crisis management team successfully cleared all the rig materials, including staircases, entangled wires, and other structural components.
The company said this resulted in the safe removal and dragging out of the rig substructure, creating clear access to the wellhead and enabling preparations for the upcoming snubbing operation — an essential part of the final well control process.
On June 12, gushes of gas were observed from the well RDS#147A of Rig SKP 135, located at ONGC’s Rudrasagar oil field in Barichuk, Bhatiapar (Assam).
What led to the leak?
Around 11.45 am on June 12, gas started leaking from an old oil well during servicing, an ONGC official told PTI, which led to the blowout. A perforation job was going on for zone transfer at the time of the blowout, the official added.
ONGC said it immediately activated safety protocols, adding no fire or injuries were reported.
As the leak couldn’t be plugged, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on June 17 — a day after meeting the families affected by the gas leak— wrote to Puri.
More than 330 families had to be evacuated due to and were being supported by the state government with basic relief and safety measures, the CM said. He also expressed disappointment over the energy company’s response to the gas leak, saying, “The local perception is one of inadequate urgency and seriousness in ONGC’s response.”
Sarma requested the Centre to direct ONGC to adopt a more “mission-mode” approach and step up engagement with the affected communities to restore confidence.
The state government announced Rs 25,000 as immediate relief to each family affected by the leak.
On June 20, a team of experts from US-based CUDD Pressure Control, a well intervention & pressure control firm, were called in to control the leak.
Together with ONGC’s in-house team, they managed to cap the well on June 27.
Capping of a well refers to the process of sealing a well, generally to contain the release of hydrocarbons or other fluids. A blowout is an uncontrolled release of crude oil or natural gas due to failure of pressure control systems.
Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
