State-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) is calling international experts to contain the weeklong uncontrollable natural gas leak from a well in Assam, the firm said on Wednesday.
The firm has connected the well to a nearby production facility to divert a portion of the gas in a controlled manner.
On June 13, around 11:45 am, during servicing operations at Well No RDS-147, gushes of gas were observed from the well. While there were no injuries, uncontrolled gas has been flowing since then.
“ONGC is continuing its focused operations to control the gas flow from well RDS#147A,” the firm said in a statement.
Its in-house well control experts are working round the clock and are in constant consultation with an international well control agency.
“The process to mobilise their team to the site of the incident has already been initiated to further strengthen efforts on the ground,” it said without giving the name of the experts or when they will arrive.
ONGC said it has successfully connected the well to a nearby production facility, thereby diverting a portion of the gas in a controlled manner.
“As an additional safety measure, water blanketing of the well is being continuously maintained,” the statement said.
As per ongoing air quality monitoring by the Pollution Control Board, Assam, the Air Quality parameters are within the permissible limit as per the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQ) standards by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), 2009.
“A thorough analysis of the released gas has been carried out through sample collection, confirming that the gas is non-toxic in nature. Being lighter than air, the gas is dispersing upwards into higher altitudes, minimising risk to nearby habitations,” it said.
The noise levels are being continuously monitored and are within acceptable limits beyond 500 metres, ONGC said. “Safety of the community and the environment remains ONGC’s foremost priority, and all actions are being taken in accordance with regulatory guidelines and industry best practices.”
In view of the presence of gas, entry to the location is being restricted to the concerned operational personnel only.
