ONGC well fire still raging

MUMBAI, MARCH 13: The major fire that broke out at the gas well in the western offshore, about 35 km from Bombay High on Friday, is yet t...

MUMBAI, MARCH 13: The major fire that broke out at the gas well in the western offshore, about 35 km from Bombay High on Friday, is yet to be brought under control. If the fire is not contained within a reasonable period, it could threaten the B-121 platform, comprising five wells, and even the rig.

The Oil and Natural Gas Corporation has alerted the Regional Contingency Committee consisting of the Navy, Coast Guard, Air Force, Director General Shipping and Civil Aviation, Mumbai Port Trust, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust and the State Government about the emergency.

An enquiry into the uncontrolled leakage, which started on Thursday and led to the fire, is likely.

The Coast Guard has deployed two ships, Sangram and Kamala Devi, to help in fire-control operations. Two Dornier aircraft have also been deployed to take stock of the situation. Coast Guard officials who visited the site told The Indian Express the fire was still raging.

Around 16,200 cu metres of water is being sprayed every hour to preventthe fire from spreading. Four multi-purpose fire-fighting vessels have been pressed into service and the ONGC crisis management team is working out ways to control the gas leakage which led to the fire.

Production losses due to the accident are estimated at 1.6 million cu metres per day, translating into a monetary loss of Rs 25 lakh per day. The western offshore produces around 55 million cu metres per day. However, the ONGC spokesperson said the fire would not affect annual targets for the year.The ONGC crisis management team will chalk out strategies to contain the fire in consultation with experts from M/s Cudd Pressure Control Inc of the United States, who are expected to arrive on Sunday. quot;There is no fixed method to control such uncontrolled flow and fire. The plans will have to be improvised and altered depending on the situation,quot; the ONGC said in a statement.

It may thus take around four to five says to bring the fire under control. Although the rig is safe now, it could, along with theplatform, be in danger if the fire goes on for months. The platform was commissioned in May 1997 and costs around Rs 44 crore. The cost of drilling and completing the platform8217;s five wells is around Rs 79.772 crore.

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ONGC has registered a claim with United India Insurance Company Limited, asking it to depute surveyors to assess the loss. The surveyors will arrive at the site on Sunday, the spokesperson said. On the cost of control operations, he said it was premature to make an estimate. quot;This is a sweet gas well and whatever gas is coming out of the well is well burnt. Therefore, there is no damage to the environment,quot; he added.