OIL prepares to control Baghjan blowout with Canadian snubbing unit

New Delhi: The team of foreign experts and personnel from Oil India Ltd (OIL) have begun all the pre-snubbing operation activities as planned and it is expected that the snubbing operation will begin within a day or two for controlling the fire in Assam's Baghjan. Assembling of Blowout Preventer (BOP) stack and pressure testing of the same are in progress, said OIL in a statement on Friday. Arrangement for placing the snubbing unit in the well plinth is underway. 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. 

After successful capping of the well on August 17, 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 the able guidance of Asset Manager – Eastern Asset, JPP Das to explore the possibility of producing the well at nearby Early Production set up (EPS) of OIL in Baghjan.

Gas diversion operation

The main objectives of 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. 

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"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. It is noteworthy that such a job was carried out by in house crew of OIL using available equipment and spares. As a result after successful diversion of the well on 13th September 2020, 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 5th November 2020 leading to considerable revenue generation and monetisation," said OIL in the statement.

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