In a step towards capping the crude oil well from which gas has been leaking for 11 days in Sivasagar district, energy major ONGC on Sunday said heavy equipment needed for the process is being mobilised.
It said after latest assessments, residents living beyond a 500-metre radius from the incident site have now been advised that it is safe to return to their homes and resume normal activities, including cooking and the use of electricity.
The blowout took place on June 12 at a well of Rudrasagar oil field of ONGC at Barichuk of Bhatiapar. A private firm, S K Petro Services, was operating the well on behalf of the state-owned company.
“Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd (ONGC), in collaboration with international well-control experts from Cudd Pressure Control, has achieved a significant milestone in its ongoing operations at Well RDS#147A,” it said in a statement.
Approximately 10 trailer loads of rig material have been successfully removed by ONGC’s Crisis Management Team (CMT) and the expert crew, clearing the majority of the rig equipment from the site and paving the way for the upcoming well-capping operation.
“The necessary heavy equipment required for the capping process is currently being mobilised to the site,” it said.
The team has conducted a detailed inspection of the elevated section of the rig mast to plan the safe removal of the tubing stacked in the derrick.
A specialised extra-long boom crane is being mobilised for this critical operation, with deployment scheduled at the earliest possible time, the ONGC said.
As a continuous safety measure, water blanketing of the well is being maintained, the statement said.
The ONGC has also been actively supporting the district administration at the relief camps.
More than 330 families from surrounding villages have been evacuated, and are being supported with basic relief and safety measures at a camp set up in nearby Bangaon, it said.
The Assam government has already announced a financial aid of Rs 25,000 each to the families affected by the blowout.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had on Friday said ONGC authorities have informed him that the entire crude oil well from where gas was leaking will be capped.
He said assessment of damages and compensation payment will be jointly carried out by ONGC and the district administration.
An official of ONGC had earlier said it was an old crude well without production, and a perforation job was underway for zone transfer at the time of the blowout.
