Context: Recently, a gas leak has occurred at Baghjan well in Tinsukia district of Assam following a blowout. The Baghjan well is a purely gas-producing well in Tinsukia district, and is at an aerial distance of 900 metres from the Dibru-Saikhowa National Park.
Background

• Since the morning of May 27, natural gas has been continuously flowing out of a gas well in Assam following a blowout — or a sudden, uncontrolled release of gas/oil.
• This happened after the blowout at the Oil India Limited’s (OIL) Baghjan gas well in Assam’s Tinsukia district.
• People from surrounding villages have been evacuated, while a variety of fish and an endangered Gangetic dolphin have died.
• Leakage: The current discharge is at 90,000 SCMD at a pressure of 4,200 PSI, far higher than the normal producing pressure of around 2,700 PSI.

Why do blowouts happen?

• The pressure balance in a well may be disturbed leading to ‘kicks’ or changes in pressure. If these are not controlled in time, the ‘kicks’ can turn into a sudden blowout.
• There are many possible reasons behind blowouts, “from simple lack of attention, poor workmanship, bad maintenance, old age, sabotage to morpho-tectonic factors”.

Why is it so difficult to control?

• The control of a blowout depends on two things: the size of the reservoir and the pressure at which the gas/oil is flowing out.
• This reservoir was particularly difficult to control since it was a gas well and ran the risk of catching fire at any point.

What is being done?

• While many blowouts automatically collapse on their own, it can take up to months. To control a blowout, the first step is to pump in water, so that the gas does not catch fire.

How serious is the impact to the neighbourhood?

• As many as 1,610 families with 2,500-3,000 people have been evacuated to relief camps. There are reports of deaths of a river dolphin, and a variety of fish. While the administration has kept an ambulance with paramedical staff on standby, locals have complained of symptoms such as burning of eyes, headache etc.
• Also close is the Maguri-Motapung wetland —an Important Bird Area notified by the Bombay Natural History Society.

Impact on the Dibru-Saikhowa National Park

• It is at an aerial distance of 900 metres from the Dibru-Saikhowa National Park.
• The national park houses some of the rare and endangered species of flora and fauna – around 36 species of mammals and nearly 400 species of birds.

About Natural Gas

• Natural gas is the cleanest fossil fuels among the available fossil fuels.
• It is used as a feedstock in the manufacture of fertilizers, plastics and other commercially important organic chemicals as well as used as a fuel for electricity generation, heating purpose in industrial and commercial units.
• Natural gas is also used for cooking in domestic households and a transportation fuel for vehicles.

About Dibru-Saikhowa National Park

• Dibru-Saikhowa is a National Park as well as a Biosphere Reserve situated in the south bank of the river Brahmaputra in Assam.
• It is one of the 19 biodiversity hotspots in the world.
• The forest type of Dibru-Saikhowa comprises semi-evergreen forests, deciduous forests, littoral and swamp forests and patches of wet evergreen forests.
• It is the largest swamp forest in north-eastern India.
• It is an identified Important Bird Area (IBA) notified by the Bombay Natural History Society. It is most famous for the rare white-winged wood ducks as well as feral horses.

About Maguri-Motapung Wetland

• Maguri Motapung Beel is less than 10 km from Dibru-Saikhowa National Park and part of the Dibru-Saikhowa Biosphere Reserve.
• The wetland derives its name from “Magur”, the local word for the catfish ‘Clarius batrachus’.
• It is an Important Bird Area notified by the Bombay Natural History Society.