Assam: Baghjan fire extinguished after 5 and a half months

TINSUKIA: In a major development, the flame of the Baghjan well no.5 in Assam’s Tinsukia district was extinguished, 172 days after the well had a disastrous blowout in the month of May, 2020.

The well has been killed with brine solution and under controll now. Fire has been doused completely. There is no pressure in the well now and the same will be observed for 24 hrs to check if there is any amount of gas migration and pressure build up. Further operation to abandon the well is in progress.

Dr. P Chandrasekaran, Director (Exploration and Development ), Shri P K Goswami, Director (Operations) and Shri D K Das, Resident Chief Executive visited the Baghjan well site and had detailed discussions with the Experts from Alert and OIL team.

The snubbing unit brought in by Oil India Limited (OIL) from Canada reached Baghjan on November 5 to tame the fire that has been raging since May 27 this year. The well caught fire on June 9. A five-member experts’ team came from Canada’s Calgary to carefully carry out the final well-killing operations.

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The snubbing unit from Canada took off in a heavy-duty An24 for Baghjan fire. According to reports, the fire was expected to be snubbed by the first week of November.

Earlier, OIL informed that it has till date released an amount of Rs 36.90 crores as compensation to the impacted people.

Additionally, at least 561 families received Rs 2.5 lakh each for damage to their houses or standing crops and horticulture. OIL has also agreed to disburse an amount of Rs 50,000 to 1,289 families every month till the well is brought under control.

OIL has been providing interim relief to over 3000 families who faced severe property damages and were living in makeshift relief camps. Moreover, Well No 5, one of 22 crude oil and natural gas wells in the Baghjan Oilfield is in close proximity to the Dibru-Saikhowa National Park. The blowout has affected the flora and fauna severely.

Further details awaited.

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