OIL India report on blowout at well No. 5 in OIL India's Baghjan field, Assam, 27/07/2020
Preliminary affidavit on behalf of Oil India Limited in the matter of Bonani Kakkar Vs Oil India Limited & Others dated 27/07/2020.
The matter related to blowout at well No. 5 in OIL India's Baghjan field, Assam in June 2020. After the incident of blowout, several bunds were constructed around the area of the blowout to arrest the spilled oil flowing to the nearby water bodies. The oil arrested inside the bundhs were picked up by manual efforts in drums and transferred to EPS-Baghjan. Turbo pumps driven by water jets were also used for lifting spilled oil.
OIL India Ltd has engaged Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Guwahati to study reported cracks in houses surrounding the blow out site using thermal mapping and sonic measurement. The study was initiated on July 16, 2020 in the presence of officials from district administration and PWD and local government village headman in Notungaon village.
A amount of Rs. 9 crores has been deposited in the Office of the Deputy Commissioner, Tinsukia towards payment of one compensation to the 3000 families residing in the relief camps. It has been estimated that more than Rs. 151 crores would be required towards operational cost in controlling the blowout at Baghjan as well as for environmental impact assessment.
OIL India Limited submitted that all safety and security measures were continuously being monitored to protect surrounding villagers and their properties by the working teams. "Protection of the environment would be paramount while carrying out the Well Control Operation. Efforts have been undertaken by OIL India Ltd. by engaging its own resources and hired services from organizations of national repute to minimize further impacts on the environment and to recuperate from the damage caused to the environment", the report by OIL India said.
Note: The report of July 27, 2020 was uploaded to the NGT site on February 12, 2021.