Will ONGC Successfully Seal the Gas Blowout in Sivasagar by Tomorrow?

Guwahati, June 26 (NationPress) The state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC) is optimistic about sealing the gas blowout at one of its wells located in Sivasagar district of Assam by Friday, as per sources on Thursday.

According to ONGC sources, steady advancements and a targeted operational blueprint have led to this optimism regarding the completion of the snubbing operation by sunset on Friday. The corporation is dedicated to executing every phase of the operation with the highest standards of precision, safety, and environmental responsibility.

An expert explains that snubbing in the oil and gas sector is a well intervention technique that involves pushing equipment like pipe or coiled tubing into a wellbore under pressure, typically when the well cannot be killed or shut down.

This process utilizes a snubbing unit, which is a specialized hydraulic workover rig. Snubbing plays a crucial role in various operations such as running equipment, addressing well control challenges, and conducting maintenance in pressurized wells, according to the expert.

As per company sources, ONGC, in close collaboration with international well control experts from CUDD Pressure Control, made significant progress on Thursday at Well RDS-147A.

The team successfully cleared all remaining rig materials, including staircases, tangled wires, and other structural elements.

This critical step led to the safe removal and dragging out of the rig substructure, thereby providing clear access to the wellhead and paving the way for the upcoming snubbing operation, which is an essential aspect of the final well control procedure.

Preparations are underway for deploying snub lines and other necessary activities. This phase will include the careful removal of the existing Blowout Preventer (BOP), followed by the installation of a replacement unit as part of the well-capping strategy, sources stated.

In a well-planned and meticulously executed operation, ONGC successfully connected hydraulic lines to the existing BOP to pressurize the unit and operate the rams.

The success of this operation without any noticeable increase in gas discharge strongly validates ONGC’s technical evaluation and strategic foresight. The operation unfolded as expected, reflecting thorough planning, accurate pressure assessments, and disciplined execution that have characterized ONGC’s well control efforts.

Moreover, favorable weather throughout the day allowed the teams to enhance their productivity. The ONGC team worked closely together to take advantage of the dry weather window and perform key tasks efficiently.

In an additional positive development, the Dikhow River has shown a decreasing trend, diminishing the immediate risk of flooding and aiding site accessibility and logistics, added the sources.

A company official previously stated that during servicing operations at Well No. RDS-147A on June 12, gases were observed gushing from the well in the ONGC’s Rudrasagar field in Sivasagar district, Assam. The company has also confirmed that air quality monitoring continues without interruption in and around the site.

“Encouragingly, there is no detectable trace of hydrocarbons beyond 30 meters from the well. Based on current evaluations, residents living beyond a 500-meter radius from the incident site have been cleared to return to their homes and resume normal activities, including cooking and using electricity,” ONGC stated.

More than 330 families from nearby villages were evacuated following the gas blowout and are receiving support with basic relief and safety measures at a camp established in nearby Bangaon.