Gas pipeline leak triggers fire at ONGC well in Andhra’s Konaseema

A gas pipeline leak at a well in Dr B R Ambedkar Konaseema district, operated by ONGC’s production contractor Deep Industries Ltd, triggered a fire on Monday.

There were no reports of deaths or injuries, according to preliminary information shared by an official of the Maharatna company.

After the leak and the subsequent blaze, senior officials of the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation from Rajahmundry rushed to Mori village, where the fire broke out at the Mori-5 well, the official said, according to a PTI report.

The oil well is situated in Irusumanda village in the Razole area of Konaseema. The incident took place during repair work being carried out with a workover rig after production at the well had been temporarily halted. During the operation, a powerful blowout occurred, releasing a large volume of gas mixed with crude oil, which shot high into the air, according to a report by NDTV.

Panchayat officials and the local administration asked villagers to evacuate immediately, prompting many residents to leave their homes and move their cattle to safer areas as the situation remained tense, the report added.

Officials from the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation have reached the site to assess the situation and determine the cause of the incident, he said.

The Konaseema district administration is also present at the location and is coordinating firefighting efforts and safety measures.

"ONGC officials, along with fire and police personnel, are dousing the fire. Villagers are in a state of panic and fear," Balakrishna, a fire department official, told ANI.

Deep Industries Ltd is a Production Enhancement Contractor (PEC) of ONGC and had secured a ₹1,402-crore contract in 2024 for production enhancement operations at ONGC’s Rajahmundry Asset in Andhra Pradesh, according to reports.

The company has been operating the Mori-5 well for about a year, the official added.