Guwahati, June 20 (UNI) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday said that ONGC is now advancing with a more practical and safer strategy to cap the leak.
"We’ve received an update from @ONGC on the ongoing operation at the RDS 147A well site in Sivasagar.
After exploring multiple approaches with great effort and precision, ONGC is now advancing with a more practical and safer strategy to cap the leak. Close to 50% of the groundwork—such as site preparation and equipment mobilisation—has already been completed," shared the Chief Minister on his X handle on Friday.
He also informed that a team of experts from the United States is reaching the site this evening to provide additional insights and support. Full-scale operations under the new plan are set to begin tomorrow.
The Government of India and the Government of Assam are monitoring the situation 24x7 and are fully committed to ensuring safety, restoring normalcy, and resolving the issue at the earliest.
The leak occurred on June 12 at Rig No. 147(A) and Well No. 135, located in the Rudrasagar oil field at Barichuk, Bhatiapar. Despite attempts by the ONGC to plug the leak, it is still continuing to affect about 1500 people, and over 300 families have already been shifted to relief camps.
It may be mentioned here that the chief minister has recently visited the relief camps where the families affected by the blowout were kept and wrote to union petroleum minister Hardeep Singh Puri to intervene to end the crisis as early as possible.
On Thursday, Union Petroleum Minister Puri said that he has been reviewing the well control operation which is in full swing at the RDS 147 A at Sibasagar in Assam.
"Residents in the vicinity had been relocated to a safe relief camp, and arrangements for food, security and other essentials are being arranged by concerned authorities. I thank Assam CM Sh @himantabiswa Ji and the state government authorities for their prompt actions and consistent support.
The well is continuously blanketed by water to avoid fire as a safety measure 24x7. The composition of gas is found to be free from H2S, CO and CO2. Being 97% methane, which is much lighter than air, it keeps going higher and higher. The gases are getting dispersed into heights and not settling on the ground," Puri said in his X handle while responding to the Assam Chief Minister's request.
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