State-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) has restored “near normalcy” at its prime Mumbai High oil and gas fields after a minor gas leak from a well that was being drilled.

The western offshore fields of ONGC are producing at a near normal rate of 310,000 barrels per day and all personnel and facilities are unharmed.

“I think the leak has been blown out of proportion. In the course of drilling operations, minor leaks happen and it all depends on how the company responds to it. We had all emergency procedures in place. There was no blowout and all non-essential personnel were safely evacuated,” a top ONGC official said.

Drilling rig Sagar Uday was operating at NS platform in Mumbai High North oil and gas field, on well number NSBX for side-tracking. The depth reached is around 1,183 metres.

Early yesterday morning gas flow was observed from the outermost casing annulus. The operation was stopped for safety reasons. Forty-eight persons were evacuated to nearby installations.

“It was a minor, non-threatening leak. Operations are normal and the leakage will be plugged today. Its near normalcy at the fields,” he said.

As a precaution, ONGC had shut gas injection into some of the nearby wells in the Mumbai High North fields.

“In a field with close to a thousand wells, stoppage of gas injection in three-four wells will not lead to any significant loss of oil production,” the official said.

The wells will be put to production after the leak is plugged.

Five vessels, including two Multi Support Vessels (MSVs), are in the location for any immediate support.

ONGC’s Crisis Management Team (CMT) is on site. Preparations for plugging the leak are in progress.

International experts from Boots & Coots have also been mobilised.

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