DIBRUGARH, Nov 6 - The team of foreign experts and personnel from OIL have begun all the pre-snubbing operation activities today as planned. They are hoping to commence the actual snubbing operation within a day or two. Assembling of Blowout Preventer (BOP) stack, and pressure testing of the same have begun today. Arrangement for placing the snubbing unit in the well plinth is under way. The flow of gas from the well to nearby Early Production Setup (EPS) at Baghjan is maintained with all operating parameters within desired limits under round-the-clock supervision and monitoring, informs, OIL spokesman Tridiv Hazarika.
After capping of the well on August 17 this year, followed by subsequent challenges encountered in surface killing operations, it was decided to kill the Baghjan blowout well by deployment of snubbing unit. However, considering the long lead time for delivery of snubbing unit from Canada to Baghjan coupled with pandemic crisis and other logistical issues, it was decided by Eastern Asset team of Oil India Limited, under Asset Manager � Eastern Asset, JPP Das to explore the possibility of producing the well at nearby Early Production setup (EPS) of OIL in Baghjan, adds Hazarika. In effect, it means the gas production well head would be re-engineered to the EPS campus.
The main objectives of this well diversion to EPS was well head pressure management so as to ensure integrity of the well head for future snubbing operations; reduce environmental impact associated with uncontrolled flow of hydrocarbon to the atmosphere and also to produce hydrocarbon from the well which will lead to revenue generation and arrest loss due to uncontrolled discharge of natural gas along with condensate from the well.
Application of innovative ideas coupled with proper planning, execution and monitoring has led to diversion of a blowout well through BOP probably for the first time in the oil and gas industry, globally. As a result after successful diversion of the well on September 13, a cumulative production of 6960 kilo litres (KL) of high quality condensate along with 49.01 Million Metric Standard Cubic Meter (MMSCM) of natural gas has been achieved till Thursday evening, leading to considerable revenue generation and monetisation of natural gas produced, said Hazarika.
