After weeks of struggle, Oil India Limited (OIL) has managed to complete the capping operation at Well 76 of the Kharsang oil field following a blowout. The field, operated by GeoEnpro Petroleum Ltd (GEPL), with OIL as major stakeholder, experienced a blowout that began on 30 October during service operations, which OIL said caused uncontrolled gas discharge from Well 76.
OIL’s crisis management team had to bring in support from Cudd Well Control, USA, and the GeoEnPro Petroleum Limited team. This was the second time that a blowout occurred, the previous one being in 2015, which had lasted for more than two weeks.
OIL and its GeoEnPro and other consortium partners operating the old field need to remain vigilant, so that such problems do not arise in the future. Blowouts are environmentally hazardous and pose a threat to the health of both workers and nearby residents.