Committee draws up blueprint on security of oil and gas installations

The committee of experts headed by Major General (retd) SCN Jatar on Tuesday also submitted its final recommendations to union petroleum minister, Ram Naik on improvements and streamlining security installations of ONGC and OIL. Petroleum ministry officials refused to divulge the exact details but said there were as many as 162 recommendations of various kinds of which 33 relate to the operations of OIL and the remaining relate to ONGC. “The petroleum ministry will now examine the recommendations of the expert committee. Views of ONGC, OIL, Director General of Hydrocarbon and Oil Industry and Safety Directorate be obtained within two months, the recommendations made in the report”, sources said.

Both the oil companies would save money if these recommendations are implemented as it would result in stoppage of pilferage and theft of crude oil”, officials said.

According to Mr Raha, a well laid out plan for cover to all oil producing wells and installations and pipelines was being implemented.

While Indian coast guards were maintaining 24-hour vigil near oil refineries and exploration sites on both the western and eastern coasts, Mumbai high offshore oil fields were in the hands of offshore Defence advisory group, comprising officials of western naval command, state government and ONGC.

Remote surveillance systems are also used for monitoring security of sensitive installations, sources said.

While the offshore security coordination committee, headed by the director general of coast guards, monitors security arrangements of the offshore oil and gas installations, security of the onshore installations is coordinated by the director-general and police of the concerned states.

These coordination committees have representatives from all concerned organisations and are reviewing security arrangements on a continuous basis, sources said.