Assam oil rig: ONGC caps leak but residents fear inhaling toxic fumes, fire risk

On June 27, the gas leak in a rig in Rudrasagar was finally capped in a joint operation carried out by the Crisis Management Team of the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation of India and Texas-based Crudd Pressure Control where they removed the damaged blowout preventer from the oil wellhead.

Gushes of gas were first observed on June 12, around 11.45 am, during servicing operations at well no RDS-147 A, an oil well in the Rudrasagar oil field, in Sivasagar district in Assam, one of the oldest oil fields of ONGC, the largest state-owned oil and natural gas company of India.

Upon detection, ONGC activated standard safety protocol, and the site was promptly secured. A fortnight later, gas continued to leak at the Rudrasagar oil field. However, following the arrival of a three-member team of oil well control experts from Crudd Pressure Control on the evening of June 20, there was progress in controlling the blowout with flow rate of gas reducing substantially. The team finally brought the gas flow under control on June 27.

“After removing the BOP [blowout preventer], the pre-positioned capping start, prepared at the staging area, was carefully and accurately placed onto the wellhead. This redirected the gas flow securely to the...

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