134 days of Baghjan blaze: OIL brings in a new technique to douse fire

Unable to contain the Baghjan blaze even after 134 days of the fire, now Oil India Limited (OIL) is bringing in a new technique, 134 days of Baghjan blaze: OIL brings in a new technique to the Snubbing Technique Unit from Alberta, Canada to control the oil well blowout. It is brought in a heavy-duty An24 and is expected to reach Dibrugarh by tomorrow.

Oil India Limited (OIL) spokesperson, Tridiv Hazarika said that the overall impact of the Baghjan blowout has decreased to a great extent. The work with the new technique will be done by the experts. He further said that operation is expected to commence at the beginning of the next week. The fire will be completely under control by the second week of November, bringing misery of many to end.

"After that, well will be abandoned and plucked. We have lost 46,440 metric tons of crude oil and 120 million metric St cubic meter of natural gas," he added. The 59,000 kg equipment along with its crew boarded the heavy-lift aircraft from Canada to bring down the fire in Assam's Baghjan.

People and families affected by a raging fire in Baghjan on June 9, continues to protest demanding for compensation for their loss. The National Green Tribunal had earlier recommended compensation categories for the affected: Rs 25 lakh for families whose houses were completely destroyed, Rs 10 lakh for houses severely damaged and Rs 2.5 lakh for moderately damaged houses. However, the OIL objected the recommendation saying that it has already paid Rs 20 lakh to 11 families whose houses have been completely destroyed.

The blowout happened in Oil well No 5 in Baghjan on May 27. Later on June 9, the oil well caught fire which led to the death of two firefighters, displaced many and large-scale environmental damages.

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