ONGC Crisis Team Battling Ankleshwar Well Fire, Calls Boots & Coots Experts From US To Control Olpad Blow Out

Surat, April 19 The crisis management team (CMT) of the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) continued to battle on Sunday the blaze that broke out during repair operations at an onshore well in south Gujarat late on Saturday, an official said.

“At least 12 people, seven of them from CMT, sustained burn injuries and have been shifted to a hospital in Surat, while all necessary medical treatment is being given to the others,” the state-run explorer said in a statement.

The fire broke out at ONGC’s onshore well in Olpad area, about 80 km from Ankleshwar in south Gujrat, during repair operations late on Saturday.

“All non-essential people have been evacuated from the accident area. Since there is no habitation within two km radius of the well, there is no immediate danger to life and property in the surrounding areas,” the statement said.

The incident occurred when a blow-out preventer, installed on wells to prevent a fire, was being repaired at a well in OLPAD-31 in Ankleshwar basin. According to local officials, gas leaking from the well being drilled by the ONGC caught fire.

ONGC has called the globally renowned oil and gas blow out control experts Boots & Coots from US to contain the crisis at well Olpad-31, which caught fire during repair maintenance job Yesterday. The experts are expected to reach the well site soon.

Meanwhile, ONGC’s Crisis Management Team (CMT) has stepped up efforts to drill a relief well at a nearby place for which the foundation work has already been started. This well will be directionally drilled to reach the affected well sub-surface. This will allow CMT to plug the affected well at the bottom and stop further gas flow.

Water is being continuously sprayed over the wellhead to keep the area cool so as not to let fire spread further. Fire is intentionally not being extinguished as gas gushing out needs to be burned at wellhead till such time well stops flow of the gas.

Seven fire tenders have been deployed at the site, along with two trailer pumps. One more fire tender is being mobilized today from Gandhar. This apart, high discharge water pumps are being mobilized from Vadodara and Rajahmundry.

District administration, which has been providing all supports, has assured uninterrupted water supply to meet this contingency. Area has been cordoned off for ensure safety.

ONGC Director – Onshore Ashok Varma is camping at the site to supervise the work. CMD Dinesh K Sarraf has also reached Surat where the injured employees are getting medical treatment.

ONGC medical team including Chief Medical Services is looking after the hospital care for the injured. Out of nine admitted at the WellCare Hospital Surat, four are ONGC employees and rest five are from the crew of contracted rig which caught fire. While two burn injured patients are likely to be discharged soon, the condition of others is reported to be critical but stable. All the patients are constantly under medical supervision. Other three employees who are admitted to a different hospital at Surat were released yesterday itself.