On May 27, OIL (Oil India Ltd.) had a blowout in Well No.5 at Baghjan Oilfield in the Tinsukia district. Operations to produce gas from a new oil-bearing reservoir at the depth of 3729 metres are the cause. Reports say that there are no fires or any forms of major casualties.
A blowout happens when pressure control systems fail and crude gas gushes uncontrollably.
Operations were suspended and people (almost 4000) were evacuated immediately, who are now sheltered at a nearby school. Efforts are being made to provide food and medical care.
The blowout poses threats to wildlife and aquatic animals as it continues to increase. Previous reports say that a radius of 1km is damp and misted with oil-vapour which in itself is a major flammable risk.
Residents have shown dismay and the All Moran Students’ Union and Assam Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chhatra Parishad want a probe into the incident. They have also demanded to blacklist the outsourced company— M/s John Energy, and to stop the pipeline work from Madhuting to Baghjan over Maguri Beel undertaken by ACI Company. OIL has asked M/s John Energy to show cause.
Meanwhile, the efforts of the crisis management team formed by the PSU to plug the leak, including the continuous pumping of water into the well’s valve to cool the gas have progressed nowhere positively.
As of now, global experts such as Boots and Coots, and Alert and Wild Well Control have been asked to help while the well continues to leak oil.
Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal spoke to Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Dharmendra Pradhan and urged him to take immediate remedial measures.