May take 2 months to kill Assam well fire: Minister

OIL to divert gas to control the blaze

Assam’s Industry and Commerce Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary said the well-killing operation at the Baghjan blowout site in Tinsukia district may take another two months as Oil India Limited (OIL) has decided to partially divert the natural gas for controlling the fire at the well head.

Well No 5 at Baghjan, close to the Dibru-Saikhowa National Park, had a blowout, or uncontrolled escape of gas at very high pressure, on May 27. The well caught fire on June 9 and has been burning since despite having been capped on August 17 after two failed attempts.

“The operation to kill the blowout well at Baghjan will take another six to eight weeks. A team of experts with a sophisticated machine is expected to arrive soon,” Mr Patowary told the 126-member State Assembly on Wednesday.

He added that Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal was constantly reviewing the situation at the blowout site and the State government has instructed officials to ensure no affected family is left out from the list of beneficiaries.

“The State government has instructed various departments to survey the affected area and the process of paying compensation has started as directed by the National Green Tribunal. So far, ₹2.40 crore has been paid to the families whose houses were destroyed in the fire,” he said.

OIL officials said they have decided to partially divert gas from the blowout well and flare the rest of it.

Stoppingg gas release

“This will help in dousing the huge fire at the well head, stopping the vertical release of gas coming out from the well head and minimising the present sound at the well head to a large extent,” OIL spokesperson Tridiv Hazarika said from the exploration major’s headquarters at Duliajan in Dibrugarh district.

“This will help in reducing well head pressure for the snubbing operation planned,” he added.

OIL officials said experts and a machine for diverting the gas were expected within three weeks to control the fire at the blowout site.

The operation at the blowout well has been outsourced to a Gujarat-based firm.