Mori (Andhra Pradesh): Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Friday conducted an aerial survey to assess the impact of gas well blowout here in Dr BR Ambedkar Konaseema district.
A massive fireball reaching up to a height of 20 metres and a width of 25 metres erupted on January 5 near Mori and Irusumanda villages, following a gas leak at an Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC)-owned well, Mori-5.
Though the intensity of the Well Mori-5 blaze has begun to subside, it continues to rage for the fifth consecutive day.
“Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu undertook a survey of the blowout region in Irusumanda village in Malikipuram mandal,” said an official press release.
Following the survey, Naidu held a review meeting with ONGC and district officials.
In addition to enquiring about the steps being taken to fully douse the blaze, he also directed officials to expedite compensation for local farmers whose coconut plantations were destroyed by the fire.
A blowout is the uncontrolled release of crude oil or natural gas from an oil well or a gas well, following the failure of pressure control systems.
Meanwhile, efforts to douse the blaze continued today, with ONGC personnel focusing on clearing the debris.
�They are removing the debris. Maybe in a day or two, all the debris will be removed. Once the debris gets removed only then they will be able to work on the wellhead,� an ONGC official told PTI.
Debris removal operations have been continuing for over two days already.
The ill-fated gas well located in the lush green and amply irrigated Konaseema district was being operated by ONGC’s Production Enhancement Contractor (PEC) Deep Industries Ltd, an Ahmedabad-based listed company.
Following the disaster, ONGC senior management took direct operational control.
It is still not clear whether ONGC will rope in Wild Well Control to put out the flames.
Wild Well Control is a US-headquartered company, which offers well control, emergency response, pressure control, relief well planning and other services to the oil and gas industry.
It offers services in safely preventing and resolving all types of well control events.