Amaravati, Jan 6 (IANS) Blowout of natural gas in a well owned by Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) in Andhra Pradesh’s Dr B. R. Ambedkar Konaseema district continued for the second day on Tuesday.

Crisis management teams of ONGC and firefighting personnel continued their efforts to control the blowout on the outskirts of Irusumanda village in Malikipuram Mandal.

According to officials, the intensity of the fire appears to have come down. They expect further improvement in the situation later in the day.

The crude-mixed gas suddenly erupted on Monday afternoon while repair works were underway using a workover rig after the well, identified as Mori-5, had temporarily halted production.

A powerful blowout released a massive volume of gas mixed with crude oil, which shot high into the air. Thick clouds of gas and smoke spread across Irusumanda and the surrounding villages, resembling dense fog, and sent panic among the people.

Authorities have shifted more than 500 people from the village to the relief camps.

ONGC said no injury or loss of life has been reported. It said the well is located in a remote area with no human habitation within a radius of approximately 500–600 metres.

The ONGC teams cordoned off the area and launched cooling operations. “Preparatory work is in progress to facilitate well-control and, if required, capping of the well,” it said.

ONGC said it also initiated coordination with international well-control specialists, including mobilisation arrangements to support advanced well-control and casing-cutting operations, subject to site assessment.

ONGC’s senior management and technical experts are closely monitoring the situation, with additional equipment being mobilised from nearby locations, including Narsapuram, it added.

Konaseema district Collector Mahesh Kumar and Superintendent of Police Rahul Meena were supervising the firefighting operation.

Amalapuram MP Harish Mathur and local MLA Varaprasad were also camping near the accident site to monitor the situation.

–IANS

ms/svn