Guwahati, June 21: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday announced that Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) will begin permanently capping the leaking crude oil well in Sivasagar district, nine days after the gas discharge was first reported.
Sarma said ONGC had already attempted two emergency containment methods, dubbed Plan A and Plan B, without success. “ONGC and Oil India Limited (OIL) have four standard emergency responses for such incidents. So far, two plans have failed. The company is now moving ahead with Plan C, which involves a permanent capping of the well,” the Chief Minister said.
To oversee the high-risk operation, a team of US-based well control experts is expected to arrive in Sivasagar by Friday evening. The capping operation is slated to begin on Saturday and is expected to be completed within four to five days, Sarma added.
“About 50 per cent of the groundwork, including site preparation and equipment mobilisation, is already complete,” he said, underlining that ONGC is now adopting a more practical and safer strategy after exhaustive efforts to contain the leak.
The leak was reported on June 12 at Well No. RDS 147A of Rig No. SKP 135 at Barichuk in Bhatiapar under ONGC’s Rudrasagar oil field. The well was being operated by SK Petro Services, a private contractor, on behalf of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC).
The Chief Minister highlighted the grave risk posed by the location, noting that the well sits near a river embankment. “Had there been heavy rains or flooding, the situation could have escalated into a disaster,” he said.
Ensuring public safety remains the top priority, Sarma stated, adding that ONGC and the Sivasagar district administration are jointly assessing damage to nearby homes and farmland. “The ONGC chairman has personally assured me that adequate compensation will be provided to affected families,” he said.
The incident has sparked renewed calls for stricter safety oversight in oilfield operations across Assam’s energy-rich Upper Assam region.
