High-pressure spillage in OIL’s oil well in Assam enters day 3; Officials assure safety

A high-pressure spillage of fluids from a well operated by Oil India Limited (OIL) at Dirial in eastern Assam’s Dibrugarh district has entered its third day today leaving local residents anxious.

Despite their relentless best efforts, OIL has not yet managed to stop the leak.

OIL spokesperson Bhairob Bhuyan told Northeast Live that there is no gas or oil leakage but rather an issue of fluid erupting from the reservoir with significant pressure. This fluid comprises primarily water and sand particles, and, importantly, no gas has been detected thus far.

Bhairob Bhuyan said, “This is not a gas or oil leakage, it is basically fluid coming out of the reservoir with very high pressure, so there is water and sand particles in there. There is no gas till now. Last night we tried up to 4 am in the morning but could not complete the work, though we managed to accomplish nearly 70% of the task due to the immense pressure from the reservoir. It is somewhat challenging to secure the X-mass tree, so we plan to resume operations at 10 a.m. There is no threat to the locals. We have not advised the locals to cease using gas cylinders or lighting fires to cook food, as there is no gas emanating from the site. We have marked our operation area, and this is where we are currently working.”

An on-site task force is coordinating the activities on the ground so as to control the water flow, cap and restore the well in close coordination with the local authorities. OIL declared the site as an emergency area on Friday after the incident. Consequent to the declaration of emergency, executives and employees of the department, who had applied for leaves (including station leaves) were asked not to proceed on leave and remain in the station till further advice.

The incident, which began on the evening of October 19, 2023, has raised concerns among local residents, primarily due to the intense noise generated by the well. While OIL has assured that the fluids are not harmful, the situation could potentially become volatile if not addressed promptly.

OIL has taken legal action by lodging a First Information Report (FIR) with local police and notifying the District Administration Authority of the situation. The well, located in a depleted reservoir in the Bordubi area, had been in a shut-in condition since 2016.

As OIL continues its efforts to bring the situation under control, the community remains on edge, hoping for a swift resolution to this concerning incident.

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