OIL's gas well in Assam's Baghjan capped after 83 days, but fire still on

The disaster management experts hired by Oil India Limited (OIL) on Monday successfully placed the Blowout Preventer (BOP) on the well head of the natural gas well at Baghjan in Assam's Tinsukia district, which blew out on May 27 and caught fire two weeks later.

The fire in the gas well, however, was still on with OIL officials hoping that the blaze would be doused in the next 24 hours.

Two similar attempts to cap the gas well in order to douse the fire on July 31 and August 10 failed, and the third attempt was successful after 83 days of the mishap.

"The well capping operation was initiated this morning and the capping BOP stack was successfully placed over the well head. The 16 studs have also been tightened. The preparations for killing operations are on. The BOP and the lines connected to it are being kept cool through continuous spraying of water," said a statement issued by OIL spokesperson, Tridiv Hazarika.

"We hope the fire will be doused in the next 24 hours," Hazarika told DH.

The gas well blewout on May 27 and it caught fire on June 9, a day after a team of experts from Singapore were flown in to tackle the disaster. Two fire fighters of OIL died, several houses were burnt down, tea gardens, agricultural land damaged while the condensate flowing out of the well had adverse impact on Maguri-Motapung beel, an ecologically rich waterbody situated near the mishap site. A study by Dehradun-based Wildlife Institute of India found that over 60 to 70 hectares of land in and around the mishap site was destroyed due to uncontrollable flow of condensate and fire.

More than 10,000 people had to be shifted for safety, most of whom are still living in relief camps.

Hazarika said a total of 29,475 Metric Tonnes of crude oil and 69.71 Million Metric Sq Cubic Metre of natural gas have been lost due to the protests, blockades and bandhs by affected people in and around Baghjan area since May 27.