ONGC seals gas bubbling site in Assam's Geleki field, says situation stable

Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) has successfully sealed the site of a low-intensity gas bubbling incident at Napam Baruwati in its Geleki field in Assam's Sivasagar district, stating that the situation is now stable and under control.

According to an official statement issued on July 14, the localized surface gas bubbling, which had been observed for nearly a week, was confined to a single location. 

A multidisciplinary team of experts was deployed immediately to assess the situation and implement safety measures.

ONGC said the affected area was barricaded and kept under continuous surveillance, while methane levels were regularly monitored using hand-held gas detectors. The monitoring detected only very low concentrations of methane.

The company also carried out a detailed technical investigation, including verification of pipeline drawings and physical examination of the area using underground pipeline-locating equipment.

"These investigations have ruled out the presence of any buried pipeline beneath or in the vicinity of the location," the statement said.

To permanently contain the bubbling, ONGC excavated the affected spot and sealed the pit on Monday using a chemical barite treatment followed by a cement-concrete mixture.

The company said the gas bubbling subsided after the treatment and confirmed that the situation is now stable, with no immediate cause for concern.

ONGC added that it will continue monitoring the site as a precautionary measure while maintaining all necessary safety protocols.