Will take 10-15 more days to bring oil well blowout under control: OIL CMD

CORRESPONDENTS

TINSUKIA/DOOMDOOMA: The Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of Oil India Limited (OIL), Sushil Chandra Mishra revealed that it would take 10-15 more days before the Baghjan gas well blowout could be brought under control. He said that all efforts in global standards had been made to contain the blowout, including creation of a relief well for diversion to meet continuous flow of water.

In a press meet at the DC's conference hall in Tinsukia on Sunday, Mishra, accompanied by a team of senior executives, including Executive Director (HR) Prashanta Borkakoti, told media persons in presence of Tinsukia Deputy Commissioner Bhaskar Pegu and Tinsukia Superintendent of Police Shiladitya Chetia that if the technical team of OIL and Crisis Management Team (CMT) of ONGCL, Vadodara and Nazira failed to cap the well, global experts in Well Control Operation (WCO) would be mobilized within a week. He, however, ridiculed the media persons by saying that 'death of wildlife and damage to properties and standing crops by the oil condensate were not the same issue'. He also claimed that the gas emitted by the blowout was not 'harmful' as it contained minimal amount of CO2 without any SO2 content.

Prasanta Borkakoti, while acknowledging the damages inflicted by the condensate, assured the media persons that the extent of damage would be assessed and the OIL would look into the well-being of the local villagers.

The other technical members apprised the media persons that during the past two days, the OIL and ONGC teams worked at the site exploring various possibilities while the presence of Rig Mast with structure and about 200 pipes on it created some hindrance. They further informed that they had planned to make an attempt to place a valve over the well hole since the height of the BOP (Blow out Preventer) was more but it could not be placed. Arrangement has been made to bring the valves from Silchar which are likely to arrive by Monday or Tuesday, they informed, adding that the arrangement of water with pressure as escape route was also being created which will be made operative on Tuesday or Wednesday.

Regarding relief camp, ED HR Borkakoti said that around 400 affected families from the nearby blowout areas had been evacuated and sheltered in three relief camps- Baghjan-Dighaltarang ME School, St Joseph School and Dighal Tarang -where necessary support for stay, food, water, toilets, electricity and medical had been provided with active support from Tinsukia district administration.

OIL CMD Sushil Chandra Mishra accompanied by other OIL officials, Tinsukia Deputy Commissioner Bhaskar Pegu and Tinsukia Superintendent of Police Shiladitya Chetia, then paid a visit to the oil well blowout site. The CMD took stock of the progress of the disaster management teams. Later, he gave a patient hearing to the irate villagers taking shelter in the relief camps and received a memorandum from Baghjan Gaon Milan Jyoti Yuva Sangha enlisting an eight-point charter of demands for compensation. The CMD assured the affected villagers that they would get adequate compensation.