Post the Baghjan inferno on Tuesday, Oil India Limited (OIL) has been taking several measures to allay further damage and work on restoration of the site.
In a statement OIL stated that the extent of fire has been contained to the well. In order to arrest any untoward incidents of flash fire, Fire Tenders have been kept ready at site. Presence of gas, noise level, air quality in vicinity of the site is being constantly monitored, informed the company.
Detailed draft plan of well control operation drawn up by the team of experts from M/s Alert Singapore along with ONGC and OIL team have been submitted to the ministry, cited OIL in the statement.
In addition to existing 12 relief camps, 2 more camps have been set up at Guijan and Dhelakhat area. All the relief camps are being effectively provided with fooding, lodging, medical and other essential requirements with the help of District Administration and Local Students’ organizations.
No untoward incident of Law and order has been reported so far at site as mentioned by the company.
OIL also stated that they incurred a loss of 638MT of crude oil production from 66 oil wells and 0.46 MMSCMD of natural gas from 3 gas well on June due to blockade by local people and students’ organization at different areas.
Assam CM Sarbananda Sonowal has taken stock of the situation and assured OIL to provide all necessary help and assitance from state authorities.
Chandra Mohan Patowary, Transport, Industries and Commerce Minister, Govt of Assam, Rameshwar Teli, Union Minister of State of Food Processing, Terash Gowalla, Local MLA, Bhaskar Pegu, DC, Tinsukia had a detailed discussion at Duliajan with Sushil Chandra Mishra, CMD, OIL, functional directors of OIL and Michael E. Allcorn, expert from M/s Alert Disaster Control on the present status and action plan for capping the well.
The company also informed that equipment mobilized from ONGC-Sibsagar has reached Duliajan and the Vehicle carrying equipment from ONGC-Rajamundry had been on its way. The equipment is being sent to the site after inspection by the Experts. Water Reservoir has also been made ready at Site.
There were some reports of tremors in nearby villages. OIL has contacted Northeast Institute if Science & Technology (NEIST) Jorhat to carry out a study to see if there any induced seismicity due to the blowout.
The fire broke out in the Baghjan Oil field of Tinsukia district in Assam on Tuesday. The oil well that blasted has been spewing gas since a blowout on May 27. Bodies of two firefighters of Oil India Ltd (OIL), who went missing after the incident, were recovered on Wednesday from a pond near the Baghjan fire site by an NDRF team.
