Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) has successfully sealed the site of a low-intensity gas bubbling incident at Napam Baruwati in its Geleki field in Assam’s Sivasagar district, confirming that the situation is now stable and fully under control.
In an official statement issued on July 14, ONGC said the localized surface gas bubbling had been confined to a single location and had been observed for nearly a week. Following the incident, the company immediately deployed a multidisciplinary team of experts to assess the situation and implement appropriate safety measures.
According to the company, the affected area was cordoned off and kept under continuous surveillance. Methane levels were regularly monitored using hand-held gas detectors, with observations indicating only very low concentrations of the gas.
ONGC also conducted an extensive technical investigation, which included verifying pipeline drawings and carrying out a physical examination of the site using underground pipeline-locating equipment.
The company stated that the investigations ruled out the presence of any buried pipeline beneath or in the immediate vicinity of the affected location.
As part of the permanent containment process, ONGC excavated the site and sealed the pit on Monday using a chemical barite treatment followed by a cement-concrete mixture.
The company said the bubbling subsided after the treatment was completed and reiterated that there is no immediate cause for concern. As a precaution, ONGC will continue to monitor the location while maintaining all necessary safety protocols.
