Effort to douse fire in Baghjan in final stages

GUWAHATI: PSU major Oil India on Wednesday said its effort to douse the blaze at the damaged gas well at Baghjan in Assam, which has been spewing gas for 71 days, is in its final stages.
As part of its final preparation to cap the well the repair of the 90-ft “athey wagon”, the equipment for fighting oil-field fires, is on like fabrication of alternate axle and modification of the secondary section of the boom, Oil India Ltd (OIL) said in a statement.
“The civil works for strengthening of the pathway to the cellar at the well site is completed. All efforts are being taken to control the well at the earliest,” it added.
On July 31, an attempt to shut the damaged gas well number 5 at Baghjan in Tinsukia district faced a setback when the wagon or hydraulic lift used to put a lid on the mouth gave in and toppled over.
The company said that all the six high discharge water pumps are operational at the site for spraying water to the well head.