ONGC Caps Assam’s Sivasagar Gas Leak After 15 Days of Intense Operation

The gas leak had forced around 350 families to evacuate due to high-pressure gas leakage that impacted the surrounding environment.

The Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) on Friday successfully capped the leak at gas well RDS#147A in Rudrasagar oil field in Assam’s Sivasagar district, 15 days after the uncontrolled gas discharge began on June 12. The operation concluded safely at 11:15 am today, without any injury, fire, or casualty.

The gas leak had forced around 350 families to evacuate due to high-pressure gas leakage that impacted the surrounding environment. The incident triggered public concern.

Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Hardeep Singh Puri, confirmed the development in a post on X, writing, “ONGC has successfully capped the blowout of well RDS#147A at 1115 hours today. This blowout started on 12th June and has been capped successfully within the shortest possible time following all best practices. Crisis Management Team of @ONGC_ along with international well control experts finally brought the curtains down on the gas well blowout through meticulous planning and concerted efforts, in a safe manner, without any injury, casualty or fire, testifying the competency of the crisis team.
Thanks to Assam CM Sh @himantabiswa Ji and officials of Govt of Assam for the excellent and continuous support to the teams on the ground.”

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma also posted on X, “Thank you Hon’ble Minister Shri @HardeepSPuri Ji for your exceptional leadership and persistence in sealing the gas leak at #RDS147A, Sivasagar – which has been a great cause of concern for all of us.
We also acknowledge the tireless efforts put in by Team @ONGC_ and members of our state administration. But above all, my deepest gratitude to the brave men and women of Sivasagar, especially those residing in the affected areas, for displaying extraordinary levels of perseverance and extending unstinted cooperation with all concerned agencies over the last two weeks.”

A private contractor, SK Petro Services, was operating the well on behalf of ONGC. The ONGC brought in a three-member team of well control specialists from Cudd Well Control, USA, on June 21 to manage the crisis. The Rudrasagar oil field remains a key production asset for ONGC in Assam.

In an official release issued on Thursday, June 26, ONGC stated, “Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC), in close coordination with international well control specialists from Cudd Pressure Control, achieved a key breakthrough on 26 June in its ongoing operations at Well RDS#147A.
The team cleared all rig materials, including staircases and entangled wires, and safely removed the rig substructure, enabling full access to the wellhead for snubbing operations.”

The company added that hydraulic lines were successfully connected to the Blowout Preventer (BOP) to pressurize the system and operate the rams.

“There was no visible increase in gas discharge during this phase, validating ONGC’s technical assessment and strategy,” the statement said.

Meanwhile, ONGC came under the scanner for environmental violations. On June 21, the Pollution Control Board, Assam (PCBA), issued a show-cause notice to ONGC, accusing it of operating the well without obtaining the mandatory Consent to Establish (CTE) and Consent to Operate (CTO) under environmental laws.

PCBA gave ONGC two weeks to respond, warning that failure to provide a satisfactory explanation could lead to penalties, including environmental compensation fines, under guidelines issued by the National Green Tribunal.

Despite ONGC’s claim that the gas was non-toxic and its volume had reduced significantly, the impact on local residents and the environment led to widespread concern.

Also Read: Road-Rail Track Damaged in Dima Hasao Day 5: Assam Minister, NFR GM at Landslide Site to Oversee Restoration Work

COMMENTS