Baghjan: Blow Out Preventer installed amid preparations for 'final assault'

Guwahati: Amid preparations for the final assault on the Baghjan Oil Well 5 that has been continuously emitting gas and oil since it suffered a blowout on May 27, a Blow Out Preventer (BOP) has now been kept ready at the well site.

According to the experts, the Blow Out Preventer will control the flame and gas emissions from the site after which the work on capping of the well shall be carried out. The experts have predicted that the well will likely be capped by July 25.

This comes after 3 foreign hydrocarbon well blowout experts from Singapore firm Alert Disaster Control were injured in an explosion while preparing for capping the well. The incident occurred when the experts, in a bid to divert the flame, made an attempt to open the spool, a pre-requisite technique to install the Blow Out Preventer.

"The team could successfully complete more than 70% of retrieval job of 7 1/16" tubing spool and for the remaining work had commenced since Thursday morning. The 3 experts from Alert suffered minor burn injuries during removal of the spool" OIL said in a statement.

"The 3 experts were provided immediate medical attention by doctors at well site & later on they were taken to the burn unit section of Astha Nursing Home at Dibrugarh. They have been released after dressing of the burn injuries", the PSU further added.

The Chief Minister also took stock of the situation and advised OIL to provide the best of the treatment to the injured experts. Noteworthy that while removing the spool during blowout control operations at Baghjan gas well No.5, three experts from M/s Alert sustained minor injuries, a press release said.

Earlier, two OIL firemen Durlav Gogoi and Tikheswar Gohain had died in the aftermath of an explosion at the blowout site on June 9.

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