ONGC caps Assam gas well blowout after fortnight-long effort

The Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC) on Friday capped a blowout at one of its wells in Assam’s Sivasagar district, a fortnight after the potentially hazardous incident prompted the evacuation of approximately 1,500 residents from nearby villages.

The capping operation was completed at 11:15 a.m. on June 27 at Well No. RDS-147A in the Rudrasagar oilfield. The effort involved crisis management teams from ONGC, officials from the Petroleum and Natural Gas Ministry, and experts from an international agency based in the United States.

“This blowout started on 12th June and has been capped successfully within the shortest possible time following all the best practices,” Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri posted on X. He also thanked Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and State government officials “for the excellent and continuous support to the teams on the ground.”

The gas blowout, which occurred on the morning of June 12, led to the immediate mobilisation of technical teams and emergency response units. A breakthrough was achieved on June 26, when teams successfully removed all rig materials, entangled wires, and structural obstructions, creating clear access to the wellhead. This facilitated the final capping operation, ONGC said.

An easing of water levels in the Dikhow River, which had earlier posed a flood risk, also contributed to the timely completion of the operation.

Earlier, ONGC had stated that there was no detectable trace of hydrocarbons beyond a 30-metre radius from the well, indicating that the blowout had been largely contained.