..and yet another..

Fire scorches ONGC production
DH News Service New Delhi/Mumbai:
14 workers dead, many missing



The loss of the Bombay High north platform of the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) would immediately cause a daily production loss of 1.10 lakh barrels of crude, Petroleum Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar told the Lok Sabha on Thursday. Making a suo motu statement in the house, he said it was expected that 70 per cent of this production would be restored over the next four weeks.

Mr Aiyar said the platform was insured for $195 million and the multi-purpose vessel Samudra Suraksha for $60 million under the ONGC’s offshore package insurance policy.

So far 14 personnel were confirmed dead. They included six from the ONGC and one each from MSV and chartered drilling rig in NC Yester. The other bodies were yet to be identified.

The disaster occurred when ONGC’s MSV Samudra Suraksha, under the Shipping Corporation of India operation, lost control, while it was engaged in a medical evacuation operation. It drifted and collided with the platform setting off a big blaze which also engulfed the MSV, Mr Aiyar said. The platform was totally lost in less than two hours along with a Pawan Hans helicopter positioned on it.

The ONGC has set up an internal inquiry to go into the causes of the tragedy.

Mr Aiyar said given the intensity of the fire and consequent damage, the platform was abandoned according to a well rehearsed drill used in offshore operations.

Personnel from the MSV were evacuated except for six divers who were now undergoing decompression and were expected to survive.

Personnel on board the chartered drilling rig deployed in the area were also being evacuated. Of the 384 personnel who had to abandon the affected platform and the two vessels, 351 had been evacuated in addition to the six drivers. The ONGC support and supply vessels and three chartered helicopters were quickly mobilised for search and rescue operations.The navy and coast guards provided prompt assistance by deploying ships and aircraft, he said.

Of those rescued, 129 had reached the Mumbai docks on Thursday and efforts were under way to take the others to Mumbai. Search for the missing was continuing, he said.

All possible resources for rescue and relief were mobilised immediately though the control centre at Bandra (East) was non-functional as a result of the power outage and all communication links were destroyed. Aiyar said a fleet of 12 chartered helicopters at Juhu helibase was completely grounded because of the flood situation. The minister thanked Carin Energy and British Gas who have offered their helicopters for the rescue operations. Mr S Pradeep (45), a resident of V V Mohalla in Mysore, was among the dead. He was an engineer serving in ONGC for the past 20 years.

Earlier, the Lok Sabha observed a two-minute silence in memory of those killed in the fire at the Bombay High and those in incessant rains lashing Mumbai.

As soon as the House assembled, Speaker Somnath Chatterjee made a statement condoling the death of the ONGC personnel in the blaze and those killed due to continuous rains in Mumbai. He appreciated the efforts of rescue workers at the Bombay High in saving lives of over 350 people.
FALLOUT

*70 pc of production to be restored in 4 months

*Platform insured for $195 million.

*New structure may cost about $300 million.

*Search on for 34 missing personnel

*351 out of 384 personnel evacuated, besides six divers.