Blowout At Oil India Well In Assam, Villagers Shifted To Safety

Oil India Limited said that efforts have been made to vacate the local residents to safe places and arrangements have been made for their food and shelter.

Guwahati:

Residents near an oil well of Oil India Limited in Assam's Tinsukia district had to be evacuated after a "blowout" on Wednesday. The Baghjan 5 well in Upper Assam exploded in a fountain of crude oil after pressure control systems failed.

Oil India said that at around 10:30 am, the producing well of Baghjan 5 under Baghjan Oilfield of Oil India Limited in Tinsukia district suddenly became very active while workover operations were on.

"As a consequence, the ongoing operations had to be immediately suspended and the well started releasing natural gas in an uncontrolled manner. All efforts have been made to mobilise men and equipment at the site so that the well can be brought under control. Further, the Crisis Management Team from ONGCL, Nazira has been mobilized to assist OIL's efforts to control the well at the earliest," the company said in a statement.

"The blowout happened while workover operations were going on to produce gas from a new sand (oil and gas bearing reservoir) at a depth of 3,729 metres. Earlier, the well was producing around 1lakh Standard Cubic Metre per day (SCMD) of gas from a depth of 3870 metres. All arrangements are being made now to bring the well under control. Adequate water spraying and taking all adequate safety measures, install BOP (Blow out Preventer) is being done."

The state-run oil-producing company added that efforts have been made to vacate the local residents residing within the vicinity of the well to safe places and arrangements have been made for their food and shelter. Experts from OIL have reached the site and all-out effort are on to control the well.