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Updated July 2nd, 2020 at 07:46 IST

Flood continues to affect efforts to douse fire at Assam gas well

Floods continued to hamper efforts to douse the raging blaze at the damaged Baghjan gas well of Assam even as the Oil India Limited on Wednesday said alternative roads are being constructed and equipment and accessories made ready at the site for spraying water and associated work.

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Floods continued to hamper efforts to douse the raging blaze at the damaged Baghjan gas well of Assam even as the Oil India Limited on Wednesday said alternative roads are being constructed and equipment and accessories made ready at the site for spraying water and associated work.

The well number 5 at Baghjan in Tinsukia district of Assam has been spewing gas uncontrollably for the last 36 days. It had caught fire on June 9, killing two of Oil India Limited’s (OIL) firefighters at the site.

"The road from EPS Baghjan side is cut off due to flood. Currently, there is only one road available (Plastic Park Maguri Beel side), which was also kept closed for two days by the district authority due to flood," OIL said in a statement.

The Talap Kordoiguri Bandarkhati-Bhaghjan road is being repaired as an alternative route for entry into Baghjan well site and 90 per cent of the job is completed, it added.

Giving an update of its efforts to put out the massive flame, OIL said equipment and accessories are made ready at the site for filling of water reservoir for spraying water and associated works.

During the last two days, four trailers of portable deck mats and pins from Kolkata reached OIL's field headquarters at Duliajan, while equipment and materials are being transferred to the well location from workshop in a phased manner depending on requirement and site condition.

OIL informed that various assessments and impact studies of the blowout as well as the blaze in villages and nearby forest areas by multiple agencies such as ERM India, TERI, CSIR-NEIST and Assam Agricultural University are going on at present. Besides, a team of PWD (Building) assessed the burnt houses along with the owners and village heads on Tuesday, it added.

Talking about the relief and rehabilitation process, OIL informed that the surveys for assessment of damage for compensation by the committee constituted by the district administration are in progress. "Assessments for 36 more families were conducted yesterday in Doomdooma Circle, making total number of families surveyed till date in Doomdooma and Tinsukia circles at 720 families," it added. Over 9,000 people are staying in 13 relief camps after the well suffered a blowout on May 27 and subsequently caught fire earlier this month.

The company said there was an output drop of 60 MT of crude oil and 0.04 MMSCM of natural gas on Tuesday due to disruptions in 10 oil wells and one gas well. "Cumulative production loss since May 27, 2020 due to bandhs and blockades: 8,972 MT crude oil, 11.55 MMSCM of natural gas," it added.

(PTI Image)

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Published July 2nd, 2020 at 07:46 IST

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