Dibrugarh: A massive gas leak at Oil India Limited’s (OIL) Well No. 309 in Nagajan village, located in the Lankasi-Kothalguri area of upper Assam’s Dibrugarh district, on Thursday afternoon has triggered widespread panic and revived traumatic memories of the catastrophic 2020 Baghjan blowout.
Nagajan village is situated approximately 50 km from Dibrugarh headquarters.
According to reports, the uncontrolled gas leakage began around 4:30 pm with a loud hissing sound and plumes of gas shooting into the sky. The leak was finally brought under control by 1 am on Friday after an intense eight-hour emergency operation led by OIL’s disaster response team.
“When the incident occurred, we were terrified and thought a Baghjan-like disaster was imminent. Thankfully, the OIL management acted swiftly, and the fire was brought under control by the disaster response team,” said a local resident.
Thursday’s scare has rekindled memories of the devastating Baghjan incident of 2020, when Well No. 5 at OIL’s Baghjan field in neighbouring Tinsukia district experienced a blowout on May 27. The blowout was followed by a massive fire on June 9, which claimed three lives, displaced hundreds of families, and inflicted significant environmental damage on the Dibru-Saikhowa National Park and the Maguri-Motapung wetland.
The Baghjan fire raged for nearly six months, becoming one of the worst industrial disasters in Northeast India’s history.
“We immediately mobilised our emergency response teams upon receiving reports of the leak. The situation was precarious, with high-pressure gas escaping rapidly. Our top priority was to prevent any ignition sources from reaching the area while our technical teams worked to contain the leak,” said a senior OIL official.
In an official statement issued on Friday, OIL stated: “A shut-in gas well in Lankasi-Kothalguri reported a gas leakage at around 4:30 pm on May 1. Preliminary assessment indicated a mechanical error in the casing valve. Our well services team subdued the well and completed the valve replacement by 1 am on May 2. No damage to life or property occurred. OIL remains committed to the highest safety standards.”
Officials confirmed there were no casualties or property damage. However, the incident has once again raised concerns over the safety protocols in Assam’s oilfields.
The leak, attributed to a mechanical failure in the casing valve, prompted the swift deployment of OIL’s well services team. Working under tight security and extreme caution, experts managed to “kill” the well—a process used to stop uncontrolled gas flow—and replaced the faulty valve before the highly flammable gas could ignite.
“Most gas leakages occur due to mechanical or technical errors. Sometimes, theft of crude oil from pipelines also leads to such accidents. There have been numerous cases of oil thieves operating in the Duliajan and Tinsukia areas. They cut pipelines to extract crude oil, often resulting in hazardous leaks,” said another local resident.
Although Thursday’s crisis was averted without any casualties, the incident underscores the need for stricter safety checks and enhanced monitoring in oil-producing regions of Assam.
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