Oil India’s Baghjan gas well No.5 had a blowout on May 27, displacing families and damaging environment.
Guwahati:
After two failed attempts to shut Oil India’s damaged gas well No.5 at Baghjan, the Blow Out Preventive (BOP) valve has been installed, successfully ending the capping operation. The well-killing work – a risky operation that involves placing a column of very dense fluid(s) into a wellbore to prevent the flow of gas – will begin today.
“We have successfully done the capping operation on Monday morning. Capping does not mean we have doused the fire. Killing will be done tomorrow (Tuesday),” Oil India Limited spokesperson Tridiv Hazarika said.
“The 16 studs have also been tightened. Preparations for the killing operation are on. The BOP and the lines connected to it are being kept cool through continuous spraying of water,” a press statement from Oil India Limited read.
The second attempt to shut the well had failed after the wire snapped due to excessive heat.
It’s been 81 days since the oil well at Baghjan in Tinsukia district, 500 km from main city Guwahati, had a blowout (on May 27) and was leaking gas, causing damage to the region’s wetlands and biodiversity. The well caught fire on July 9, killing two Oil India firefighters.
A new fire broke out on July 22, injuring three foreign experts working at the site to put off the blaze.
The blowout has displaced hundreds of families. Till Sunday, 2,756 families had been surveyed in Doomdooma and Tinsukia circles for damage assessment towards compensation. “Bio remediation activities are also in progress,” the Oil India statement said.
However, the oil and gas production remain affected due to forceful closure of a few wells connected to the Baghjan EPS due to flooding. Drilling and workover operation remained affected due to blockades.
A total of 29,475 metric tonnes of crude oil and 69.71 million metric st. cubic meter of natural gas have been lost in and around Baghjan due to the blowout.
