Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has written to Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri, urging a more “proactive and mission-mode” response from Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) to contain a continuing gas blowout at Well RDS-147 in its Rudrasagar field in Sivasagar district.
In a post on X, Sarma confirmed his communication with the Union Minister:
“Conveyed our concerns regarding the Barichuk Gas Blowout incident to Union Minister Hardeep Puri. I have requested him to direct ONGC to step up well control efforts in mission mode so that the situation doesn’t aggravate further.”
The blowout, which began last Friday, has led to the evacuation of over 330 families, who are now being supported by the state government with relief and safety measures. However, Sarma emphasized that the local perception is one of inadequate urgency from ONGC, and that the response lacks the intensity seen in similar past incidents.
“Unlike previous incidents handled with a war-like footing, the current approach appears procedural and lacking in visibility,” Sarma said in his letter to Minister Puri.
Despite ONGC deploying various well-control techniques—including water blanketing, high-volume mud pumping, and junk shots—the well remains active due to sustained high pressure, he noted. The prolonged duration of the blowout is causing rising anxiety in nearby villages.
CM Sarma, who visited the relief camps and affected areas on June 16, assured residents that their concerns would be addressed. He called on the Union Government to push ONGC to reinforce its technical and leadership presence, adopt a mission-mode strategy, and enhance engagement with the local communities to restore public confidence.
Meanwhile, Union Minister Hardeep Puri, in a separate statement, acknowledged that gas flow has persisted for four days due to “extraordinarily high pressure” in the well and that high-tech containment methods, including junk pumping, are being utilized. He added that ONGC is in touch with international experts to resolve the crisis.
ONGC, a Maharatna PSU, is India’s largest producer of crude oil and natural gas, contributing about 71% of domestic production. Crude oil from ONGC is refined by downstream companies like IOC, BPCL, HPCL, and MRPL (the latter two being ONGC subsidiaries) into essential fuels and products including petrol, diesel, and LPG.
The Assam government continues to monitor the situation closely while pressing for quicker, more visible action from the central agencies and ONGC.
