(HT)
With gas continuing to leak from an ONGC crude oil well in Assam for the seventh straight day, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday urged Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep S. Puri to direct the energy major to step up efforts to contain the blowout.
In a letter to Puri, Sarma said locals claimed that there has been “inadequate urgency and seriousness in ONGC’s response” while trying to contain the leak.
“Conveyed our concerns regarding the Barichuk Gas Blowout incident to Hon’ble Union Minister Shri @HardeepSPuri ji. I have requested him to direct @ONGC_ to step up well control efforts in mission mode so that the situation doesn’t aggravate further,” the CM said in a post on X.
The state government is providing necessary relief to the affected people at this hour, but a more proactive approach is needed from ONGC to mitigate this situation to restore normalcy, he added.
The blowout took place on June 12 at Well No RDS 147 of Rig No SKP 135 of Rudrasagar oil field of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation at Barichuk of Bhatiapar.
A private firm, SK Petro Services, was operating the well on behalf of the state-run Maharatna company.
In the letter, which was shared by Sarma along with the post, the CM said, “Despite ONGC’s ongoing well control efforts — such as water blanketing, high-volume mud pumping, and junk shots — pressure continues to persist and the well remains active.”
The prolonged nature of the incident is causing considerable distress in the surrounding villages, as already more than 330 families have been evacuated from their homes and are being supported by the state government with basic relief and safety measures, he added.
“While the District Administration and state agencies are fully engaged on the ground, I am constrained to convey that the local perception is one of inadequate urgency and seriousness in ONGC’s response. Unlike previous incidents handled with a war-footing, the current approach appears procedural and lacking in visibility,” Sarma said in the letter.
Talking about his visit to the affected site on Monday evening, the CM said he had assured the people of taking up their concerns at the highest level.
“I urge you to kindly direct ONGC to reinforce its technical and leadership presence on-site, adopt a more mission-mode approach, and step up engagement with the affected communities to restore confidence and bring the situation under control at the earliest,” Sarma told Puri.
The Assam government on Tuesday announced a financial aid of ₹25,000 each to about 350 families affected by the blowout.
Puri also reviewed and took an update on well control activities being carried out by ONGC, which informed him that competent personnel have been brought from other work centres of the company to control the fire.
“High tech methods such as ‘junk pumping’ are also being deployed, and ONGC officers are in constant touch with international overseas experts. A water blanket is continuously being maintained for cooling effect and to prevent fire,” he said in a post on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, a company official told PTI that uncontrolled leakage of gas is continuing from the well despite consistent efforts to control it.
“The well killing process is going on. The gas pressure has not increased in the last few days, and we hope for some good news soon,” he added.
The well has not caught fire yet, and no one is injured in the incident, while all emergency services have been pressed into the area, the official said.
The Sivasagar district administration had said on Monday that air pollution was still within the acceptable limit and the local office of Pollution Control Board, Assam was closely monitoring the situation.
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 added.
