The Indian Coast Guard on Saturday afternoon concluded its operation to control the oil spill that took place after a feeder pipeline of the state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) sprung a leak in the Bassein oil and gas field, around 80 km off the Mumbai
coast.
According to the Indian Coast Guard and ONGC, 25,000 barrels or 50 metric tonnes of crude oil had spilled into the sea on Friday morning after one of the feeder lines of the Mumbai Uran Trunk, which pumps 2.12 lakh barrels of oil per day to Uran, developed a leak.
Coast Guard sources said that commercial divers had located the rupture in the pipeline, and started investigation and repairs.
SPS Basra, inspector general of the coast guard, said: “The operation was called off at 1pm on Saturday.” A Dornier aircraft was undertaken in the morning, which reported a minor trace of oil, but no oil spill dispersant was used, added Basra.
Samudra Prahari, the country’s first pollution control vessel, and other support vessels, including ICGS Sangram and Interceptor boat C-145, were also called back at 6pm. Most portion of the oil spill was contained with the help of booms, skimmers and side sweeping arms that were on board ICGS Samudra Prahari.
Favourable climactic conditions helped the coast guard contain the spill, said sources.