DIBRUGARH: A significant gas leak occurred at Oil India Limited’s (OIL) Well No. 309 in Nagajan village, located in the Lankasi-Kothalguri area of Dibrugarh district on Thursday afternoon, causing alarm among local residents and evoking distressing recollections of the disastrous 2020 Baghjan blowout.
The uncontrolled gas release, which commenced at approximately 4:30 PM accompanied by a loud hissing noise and gas erupting into the atmosphere, was ultimately contained by 1 AM on Friday following an eight-hour emergency response by OIL’s disaster management team. Authorities have confirmed that there were no injuries or damage to property; however, the incident has reignited concerns regarding safety measures in Assam’s oilfields. The leak, attributed to a mechanical failure in the casing valve, necessitated the immediate action of OIL’s well services team.
Operating under stringent security measures, specialists successfully ‘killed’ the well, a procedure aimed at halting the uncontrolled gas flow, and replaced the defective valve before the highly combustible gas could ignite. A senior official from OIL stated, ‘We promptly deployed our emergency response teams upon receiving notifications of the leak. The situation was critical, with high-pressure gas escaping at a concerning rate. Our foremost objective was to avert any potential ignition sources from approaching the area while our technical teams worked to manage the leak.’ Oil India Limited also issued an official statement regarding the incident on Friday, which noted, ‘A shut-in gas well in Lankasi-Kothalguri reported a gas leak at around 4:30 PM on May 1.
Initial evaluations indicated a mechanical failure in the casing valve. Our well services team successfully subdued the well and completed the valve replacement by 1 AM on May 2. There were no casualties or property damage. OIL remains dedicated to upholding the highest safety standards.’ The incident on Thursday has rekindled memories of the catastrophic Baghjan blowout of 2020, which occurred at Well No. 5 in OIL’s Baghjan field in Tinsukia district on May 27, followed by a significant fire on June 9.
