Exclusive: ONGC says no impact of cyclone as rigs were already shifted

ONGC says no impact of cyclone as rigs were moved ahead of it

Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd (ONGC) says there is no impact of Cyclone Biparjoy as the oil giant moved 36 rigs in the western offshore, much ahead of the cyclone.

ONGC shifted 36 rigs in what it calls the pre-monsoon rig move period – from the last week of March till end of May 2023 -- in the western offshore, the company told Moneycontrol on June 22.

No more rig moves are planned till the end of the monsoon season this year as all rigs have been deployed at their monsoon locations.

This move was carried out on the western coast, which was hit by Cyclone Bipayjoy in Gujarat, in mid-June. The state-owned oil PSU said that after Cyclone Tauktae in 2021, it has updated its cyclone ERP (Emergency Response Plan) to ensure the safety of its rigs.

Emergency Response Plan

“After Cyclone Tauktae, ONGC has updated the cyclone ERP to make the action points simple, clear, unambiguous and actionable to ensure the safety of our personnel, assets, operations and environment,” the company said.

In 2021, 86 ONGC workers had lost their lives when Barge P-305, an ONGC vessel, sank after the western offshore was hit by Cyclone Tauktae. Several high-level ONGC officials had come under the scanner after an inquiry into the incident.

At the time of the cyclone in 2021, the oil giant did not have a chairman and managing director. The company did not have a full-time head since March 2021. However, Arun Kumar Singh was appointed as chairman in December 2022. He was later declared as CEO of the company.

ONGC said it also monitors cyclone forecasts from various sources, including IMD (India Meteorological Department), StormGeo and Windy.com.

“ONGC has formulated a robust cyclone ERP for Offshore Drilling rigs through a team of in-house domain experts, having vast experience in offshore Drilling, Maintenance, Safety & Marine Operations,” the company

said.
In case of an imminent cyclone, ONGC activates an in-house cyclone control room to monitor it, disseminate information, issue advisories to rigs and coordinate with all officials.

All rigs covered under insurance

ONGC said that all the rigs owned by the company are covered under insurance.

“All ONGC-owned rigs are covered under ONGC’s Energy Insurance Package Policy with United India Insurance Company Limited, which addresses cyclones as well. Charter-hired rigs have their own insurance coverage,” the company said.

Cyclones in the Bay of Bengal were more frequent and there was enough data available to understand them. On the other hand, Arabian Sea has seen fewer cyclones historically but now is heating up more than average and more cyclones are expected.