Experts from US firm arrive at ONGC fire site in Gujarat

AHMEDABAD: As the fire at the ONGC's gas well near Surat continued to rage for a fourth day today, two experts from a US-based company arrived at the site to assess the situation.

The experts from a oil and gas blow out control firm would be preparing an action plan to douse the blaze in which 12 persons were injured, said an ONGC official.

"Two experts from Boots & Coots arrived at the site today and took stock of the situation. They would prepare a plan of action to douse the blaze at our well," he said.

The well at Olpad town near Surat, around 250km from here, caught fire on Saturday last during repair maintenance job, the state-run oil & gas exploration firm had said.

Meanwhile, the PSU today shifted all the seven injured employees, who were admitted to a Surat hospital after the fire mishap, to a medical facility in Mumbai.

"Out of the total 12 employees who were injured in the accident, five were discharged after treatment while seven remained hospitalised in Surat.

"The management has shifted them to a Mumbai hospital, which specialises in treating burn injuries, to ensure better treatment for them," said the official.

As part of efforts to control the inferno, ONGC's crisis management team (CMT) has completed the civil work of building foundation to drill a relief well at a spot near the affected site, said the official.

This well will be drilled to reach the affected well sub-surface. This will allow CMT to plug the affected well at the bottom and stop further gas flow, he explained.

ONGC Chairman and Managing Director Dinesh Sarraf and Director-Onshore Ashok Varma are camping at the site to supervise the work.

Varma had yesterday said it will take at least 15 days to control the fire.