ONGC to repair oil pipeline in 5 days

The Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) said on Sunday that it would repair the pipeline that caused an oil spill some 80-km off the Mumbai coast, in the next four to five days.

The Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) said on Sunday that it would repair the pipeline that caused an oil spill some 80-km off the Mumbai coast, in the next four to five days.

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“Cleaning of the area with high-pressure jets is underway to ascertain the extent of damage,” the company said two days after the leak was detected and plugged.

“All the required material for repairs is available on board MSVs [Multi-Support Vessels]. The line is expected to be repaired and normal flow restored in four to five days,” it stated.

There are “no visible signs of oil slick on the sea surface near the site of pipeline leakage,” it said, adding, “however, two Coast Guard vessels are at site for surveillance and monitoring.”

ONGC resumed oil production from its Mumbai High fields by using an alternative sub-sea pipeline hours after the production was halted due to a leak in the Mumbai Uran Trunk crude pipeline on Friday.

ONGC's MSV, 'Samudra Prabha', equipped with repair assessment facilities and divers had located the leakage point.

“The most probable reason of leakage is fouling of anchor wire rope, of a construction barge working in the vicinity, with the sub-sea valve assembly of Mumbai High Trunk line,” ONGC said.

The company said operations at oilfields were nearly normal and that the fields were presently producing at the rate of 300,000 barrels per day (bpd) as against normal levels of 320,000 bpd.