Baghjan well ‘killing’: OIL starts spadework as Canada snubbing unit reaches site
GUWAHATI:
Oil India Limited (OIL), on Thursday, began conducting the groundwork before proceeding to “to kill the blowout well” within the next two days at Baghjan in Upper Assam’s Tinsukia district.
The arrangements by OIL got underway after the snubbing unit from Canada finally reached the Baghjan blowout well site late on Wednesday evening. The truck carrying the equipment to the site was briefly hindered by a blockade staged by a group of residents over non-payment of compensation.
Sources said that they lifted the blockade following the intervention of the Tinsukia district administration and OIL authorities.
The snubbing unit comprises equipment weighing 59,000 kg, which was brought to Kolkata from Canada by an An124 (Antonov) aircraft, the largest civilian transport aircraft in the world.
The aircraft hit the tarmac of the Kolkata Airport on the night of October 21. The equipment comprising a snubbing truck mounted with a snubbing unit for “killing” the blowout well, was brought to the site by road.
Also Read: OIL operated Baghjan well without mandatory consent: NGT panel
‘Well killing’ involves injecting artificial mud into the well at very high pressure to fill it up and stop the gas from coming out.
“It is expected that after completion of all necessary pre-operation activities, the well killing operation by the snubbing unit will commence within the next couple of days,” a statement by OIL on Thursday afternoon said.
“Meanwhile, the flow of gas from the well to nearby early production set-up (EPS) at Baghjan is being maintained with all operating parameters within the desired level and safety measures in place,” it said.
Regarding the payment of compensation to the families affected by the June 9 fire at Baghjan, OIL authorities said that based on the interim recommendations of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) and discussions with the Tinsukia deputy commissioner, Rs 36.90 crore has been released to the impacted people till date.
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