India's ONGC Working to Contain Fire at Oil Well in Western Coast

   By R. Jai Krishna 
 

NEW DELHI--Oil & Natural Gas Corp. (500312.BY) is working to contain a fire at its onshore well in Olpad area, about 80 kilometers from Ankleshwar in India's western coast, according to a company statement.

A fire broke out Saturday afternoon during repair maintenance work at the plant, injuring 12 people, including five from the crisis-management team, India's flagship oil and gas explorer said.

The company said three of the injured were discharged from hospital Saturday, while two are likely to be discharged soon. The rest are in critical but stable condition, it said.

ONGC said it has called in experts from Boots & Coots Services, a unit of Halliburton Co. (HAL), to help contain the fire. "[They] are expected to reach the well site soon," it said.

Meanwhile, the company said it has stepped up efforts to drill a relief well to help it reach the affected subsurface and plug the affected well at the bottom to stop further gas flow.

"Water is being continuously sprayed over the wellhead to keep the area cool so as not to let fire spread further. Fire is intentionally not being extinguished as gas gushing out needs to be burned at wellhead till such time well stops flow of the gas," the statement said.

Write to R. Jai Krishna at [e-mail]

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