The Hindu Business Line : Panel concern over ONGC's safety mechanism

Panel suggestions
Ministry could constitute a team external to ONGC to inspect and report on the control and mitigation measures at all platforms where the risks have been identified to a certain level.
A separate legislation for safety in offshore oil and gas industry was also recommended.

New Delhi , May 24

The independent inquiry committee probing into the causes for the accident of the Mumbai High North (MHN) platform of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) on July 27, 2005 is understood to have expressed concern on the safety mechanisms adopted by the oil major.

The committee, headed by Mr T.N.R. Rao, former Petroleum Secretary, which submitted its report to the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas on April 30, was asked to go into the circumstances leading to the accident; to find out whether the multi-support vehicle was seaworthy; and to see whether both the MSV and MHN complex had adequate safeguards and safety factors in accordance with international and Indian standards.

Causes of disaster

Indications are that the committee has classified the causes of disaster into two categories — immediate cause and root cause. The collision between the vessel `Samundra Suraksha' operating along side the platform MHN with unprotected risers bringing gas to the platform has been termed as the immediate cause of the fire accident, which led to loss of 22 lives — 11 killed and 11 missing — and a loss of about Rs 1,800 crore (of which half has been recovered from insurers).

The committee is understood to have also said that 362 persons on board the complex and ship were saved in a heroic exercise. However, the loss does not take into account replacement value of the structure or lost production.

As regards the root cause, the report indicates several instances, including unsafe platform, absence of fire protection to risers and platform supports.

Questions have been raised on safety management systems and safety certification procedure adopted by the company.

Further, no proper implementation of earlier committees' suggestions has been indicated in the report.

Recommendations

Moreover, the committee is understood to have suggested that the Ministry could constitute a team external to ONGC to inspect and report on the control and mitigation measures at all platforms where the risks have been identified to a certain level. It is also understood to have recommended a separate legislation for safety in offshore oil and gas industry. As an interim measure, an amendment to the Petroleum and Natural Gas rules providing for a chapter on safety requirements has been suggested.

The Petroleum Ministry, on its part, is tight-lipped over the report. Sources said that the report is under examination. Besides, a copy of the report has also been sent to ONGC. The Committee was given six months to find out the reasons for the accident in which the ONGC vessel Samudra Suraksha, operated by the Shipping Corporation of India on management contract basis, collided with the platform causing a major blowout.

More Stories on : Accidents | Petroleum | Oil & Natural Gas Corporation Ltd

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page