GUWAHATI: Expert teams engaged in operations to douse the raging fire at Baghjan in Upper Assam have successfully stopped the vertical release of gas from Oil India Limited’s (OIL) well number five by diverting the gas to four areas on Monday, official sources confirmed.
“The fire from the well head stopped on Monday morning after the gas was diverted to two flare pits set up near the well where gas is being burnt, besides two other areas at Baghjan EPS (Early Production System),” a spokesperson from OIL, said.
“The process will be observed for about five to six hours to check whether there are any leaks, etc. Till now, the operation has been smooth,” he said on Monday afternoon.
The strategy tweak has reaped success after as many as 104 days since the blowout (uncontrolled escape of gas at very high pressure) from the natural gas producing well on May 27, 2020 and about three months since the well caught fire on June 9, 2020.
Over 100 professionals comprising experts from Singapore-based Alert and OIL are monitoring the exercise,
This is probably the first time in the country that such diversion of gas from a natural gas producing well head has taken place.
OIL authorities have been exploring alternative options for well control operations after a series of failed attempts to “kill the well” following technical snags, the latest being on August 19, 2020/
The OIL spokesperson further said that the latest strategy shift would also reduce noise and air pollution in the area and bring much needed relief to the local people, who have had to bear the brunt of the mishap for over three months now.
Several houses were burnt while acres of farm land area have been damaged as the fire continued to rage, causing immense problems for residents, most of who are yet to be provided compensation.
Assam’s industry minister Chandra Mohan Patowary had recently said that the final well-killing operation at the site might take another two months.