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Tremors around Baghjan due to well fire

By Ron Duarah

DIBRUGARH, July 17 - Oil India Limited, which was hoping to install the Blow Out Preventer (BOP) by today, has missed the deadline yet again. Asked to comment on the matter, OIL spokesman Tridiv Hazarika told this reporter today the delay has been due to the breakdown of a hydraulic hammer drill, and field logistical issues like water seepage and high ground water table.

However, it is needed to report here that locals near Baghjan and Doomdooma have told this reporter that the incidence of vibrations and noise have increased in the last 24 hours, and that this is a constant deterrent to the locals� normal living and sleeping routines.

Hazarika said OIL is aware of the problem, and attributed this to air vibrations from the Baghjan fire.

�The gas is coming out from the well at the same velocity, but now that the old rig and other structures have been removed, the sound (and related vibrations) are travelling more freely, and hence the noise and accompanying air vibrations.�

The air vibrations are so intense that roof material of village homes up to Kordoiguri are buzzing, with residents getting disturbed by the phenomenon.

According to Hazarika, the breaking down of the hydraulic hammer drill has halted work on dismantling a five-feet thick concrete slab near the well head. This slab was earlier cast to support the rig structure, way back in 2007, when work on the gas well originally started. Now this slab has to be removed for creating a nine-feet deep �cellar pit� around the well head for installing the BOP.

The replacement hydraulic hammer drill is being arranged from NRL refinery, and is currently in transit. This was cited as one of the reasons of the delay, as the excavation work on the Cellar Pit has come to a standstill. Moreover, there is the additional issue of water ingress into the pit, due to Monsoon and flood conditions.

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