Engineers’ body demands probe into ‘dry’ oil wells, calls for accountability post-Sivasagar ONGC gas leak

Amid mounting public concern following a recent gas leak from a crude oil well in Bhatiapar-Bari Chuk, Sivasagar, the All Assam Engineers’ Association (AAEA) has issued a stern call for transparency, accountability, and regulatory overhaul within India’s petroleum sector.

In a strongly-worded statement, the Guwahati-based engineers’ body urged state-owned energy giants Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) and Oil India Limited (OIL) to clarify the status of wells previously declared "abandoned" or "dry." The association alleged that such classifications are frequently made without stringent oversight and may be enabling potentially dangerous private operations under the radar.

“The Sivasagar leak is a grim reminder of what unfolded during the Baghjan blowout of 2020,” said AAEA president Er Kailash Sarma, working president Er Nava J Thakuria, and secretary Er Inamul Hye. “These so-called non-operational wells are often handed over to private contractors, and their unsafe operation poses grave risks to public safety, property, and the environment.”

The engineers further alleged that corrupt officials within ONGC and OIL may be complicit in misclassifying active wells as "dried" to benefit private parties. “Once a well is labeled as abandoned, there is virtually no mechanism to monitor how it's being used,” they added, calling for an immediate investigation into such decisions.

Highlighting the need for greater regulatory vigilance, AAEA demanded the Union Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas establish a robust framework for accountability. They emphasized that officials responsible for negligence or willful misclassification must face strict consequences.

The association also flagged a glaring gap in India’s emergency preparedness, stating that the country still lacks a dedicated, well-equipped national disaster response unit for oil and gas-related crises. Citing the example of Baghjan, where foreign experts from Canada and the US had to be flown in, the AAEA termed it a “national embarrassment” that India still relies on external assistance in the face of hydrocarbon disasters.

In their concluding remarks, AAEA called for a nationwide disclosure of all wells deemed abandoned or non-operational, especially in northeast India, which is rapidly becoming a vital hydrocarbon hub. They insisted that ecological security, community welfare, and transparent governance must outweigh privatization and profit.