Learning from Uran blaze, ONGC controls fire at Hazira plant within 3 hours

• Three consecutive blasts took place at two terminals of the Hazira-based ONGC plant in Surat at around 3:00 am, said ONGC in a tweet

• Before the blast, a condensate cloud was formed in the same way as the one formed before the massive fire at Uran plant in 2019, said sources

New Delhi: The massive fire that erupted in Hazira gas processing plant of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) on early Thursday morning followed the same script as that at the Uran plant a year ago. However, what brought the blaze under control within three hours of breaking out, was the lesson learnt from the Uran plant fire and the presence of fire tenders on standby, sources who spoke to PSU Watch on the condition of anonymity said. The Uran plant fire, which took place in September last year, had killed one ONGC employee and three Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) men.

According to the ONGC management, three consecutive blasts took place at two terminals of the Hazira-based ONGC plant in Surat at around 3:00 am. The blast was followed by a massive fire that could be seen from a distance. However, no deaths or injuries were reported.

How did the fire at ONGC Hazira plant start?

According to sources, there was a leakage in the gasket and the condensate started leaking. A cloud was formed in the same way as the one formed before the massive fire at Uran plant in 2019, they added. "Since the leakage had been detected, there were around five-six people at the plant who were trying to locate it even as a cloud was forming. And going by the experience of the fire that broke out in the Uran plant last year, fire tenders were already stationed outside the plant. So, before these people could detect the point of leakage, there were three explosions around 3 am. Since fire tenders were already on standby, the blaze was brought under control by around 6.20 am. And there was no injury or casualties," said one of the sources.

Also read: Four killed in massive fire at ONGC's Uran plant

"We isolated the area of leakage by turning off all 'in and out' points for gas and condensates. As we continued to cool the blaze down, the cloud dissipated, and the fire was eventually brought under control," the source added. 

As a precautionary measure, all terminals have been closed down at the ONGC Hazira plant. "Efforts are being made to resume normal operations at the earliest," said ONGC in a tweet.

(PSU Watch– India's Business News centre that places the spotlight on PSUs, Bureaucracy, Defence and Public Policy is now on Telegram. Join PSU Watch Channel in your Telegram and stay updated)