Pollution Control Board of Assam to lift closure notice of Baghjan operations, says OIL

Guwahati: Oil India Ltd (OIL) on Monday claimed the Pollution Control Board, Assam (PCBA) has decided to withdraw its notice asking the company to shut down drilling operations in Baghjan, where a producing well erupted in flames after a weeks-long blowout.

"Chairman PCBA spoke to CMD-OIL today and the closure notice is in the process of being lifted," OIL said in a statement released earlier today, a day after stating that it would approach the High Court if the closure notice is not withdrawn.

The Baghjan oil field has a total of 22 producing wells -- 18 crude and four gas -- and Well number 5 at Baghjan has been churning out gas, oil, and other emissions for the last 27 days. The site of the blowout had caught fire on June 9, which resulted in the deaths of 2 OIL firefighters at the site.

Amid the raging controversy, the PCBA sent a show-cause notice to OIL on June 10 seeking details of its operations in Baghjan in the last 15 years, within one week.

Later, the PCBA has directed to cease all operations, claiming that the PSU did not obtain required permissions for the Baghjan oil fields. OIL categorically denied the charge and claimed it has the "PCBA''s consent" for its all operations in the state.

It needs mention here that Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal had expressed displeasure over the PCBA order and urged authorities to be "more sensible".

Meanwhile, OIL is continuing its efforts to extinguish the fire that still rages on. OIL said a crucial packing element for the casing hanger will be airlifted from Singapore on Monday.

It said that the consignments being mobilized from outside Assam were stuck at Dalkhota, West Bengal due to a very long waiting queue for COVID testing, adding that vehicles carrying the second load of equipment from ONGC, Rajahmundry, three vehicles carrying materials and bulldozer from ONGC-Vadodara are in transit.

"In order to mitigate the delay and make access of vehicles and placement equipment at the site, actions (have been) initiated for mobilising heavy-duty composite porta deck mats from Kolkata and Guwahati. Materials are expected to be loaded today," OIL added in its statement.

Meanwhile, OIL has claimed that there was an output drop of 149 metric tonnes (MT) of crude oil and 0.16 million metric standard cubic metres (MMSCM) of natural gas on Sunday due to disruptions in 22 oil wells and one gas well. "Cumulative production loss since May 27, 2020 due to bandhs and blockades: 8,162 MT crude oil, 10.4 MMSCM of natural gas," it said.

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