Guwahati: Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC) has successfully completed the capping operation at Well RDS#147A, marking a significant milestone in the well control efforts.
During service operations on 12 June 2025, a blowout occurred at Well RDS#147A, and gas gushed out.
The confirmation came after Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri announced the development on X, praising ONGC’s Crisis Management Team and its partners for resolving the situation safely and swiftly.
In an official statement, ONGC said the capping operation marked a major achievement in the well control efforts, following a blowout that occurred during service operations at the site on June 12. The incident had led to an uncontrolled gas discharge from the well.
The statement noted that at dawn on Friday, ONGC’s Crisis Management Team, along with experts from international firm CUDD Pressure Control and local operations personnel, began the critical task of removing the damaged Blowout Preventer (BOP) from the wellhead.
“The entire operation was conducted with meticulous planning, technical finesse, and close coordination to maintain stability and avoid any imbalance or toppling during the lifting of the damaged BOP,” the ONGC spokesperson said.
The capping stack was firmly installed and secured, following which the BOP was successfully closed, effectively bringing an end to the gas discharge from Well RDS#147A.
This marks the successful culmination of the capping operation, a testament to ONGC’s engineering excellence, meticulous planning, and strong collaboration with global and local partners. Subsequent steps in the well control roadmap will now be taken up as per operational protocols.
The achievement stands as a symbol of technical resilience and teamwork. ONGC acknowledges the exemplary contributions of its Crisis Management Team, the experts from CUDD Pressure Control, and the dedicated local teams who worked tirelessly under demanding conditions to bring the well under control.
The capping of RDS#147A marks the successful culmination of ONGC’s well control efforts. The operation was executed with utmost safety, without a single injury, fatality, or incident of fire. ONGC has maintained full transparency throughout the operation, issuing daily press releases over the fortnight to keep all stakeholders informed.
Earlier in the day, Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri shared the news on X, writing: “ONGC has successfully capped the blowout of well RDS#147A at 1115 hours today. The blowout, which began on June 12, has been resolved in the shortest possible time, following all best practices.”
He lauded ONGC’s Crisis Management Team and international well control experts for their “meticulous planning and concerted efforts,” which brought the blowout to an end without any harm to personnel or property.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma also expressed his appreciation, thanking the Union Minister and ONGC for their prompt and coordinated response.
In a post on X, Sarma said: “Thank you Hon’ble Minister Shri Hardeep Singh Puri Ji for your exceptional leadership and persistence in sealing the gas leak at RDS#147A, Sivasagar — which has been a great cause of concern for all of us.”
He also praised the resilience of the affected communities and the cooperation extended by local residents. “My deepest gratitude to the brave men and women of Sivasagar, especially those residing in the affected areas, for displaying extraordinary perseverance and extending unstinted support to all concerned agencies over the last two weeks,” Sarma added.
