20000418

Fire at Bobi well

to be extinguished

within a week

ISLAMABAD: Fire control operation, continuing successfully at Bobi well in Sanghar with all technical skills, will be completed within a week time.

"The operation is currently in progress with the digging work of a trench around the Bobi well for the capping of well-head with necessary equipments," sources at Oil and Gas Development Corporation Limited (OGDCL) told APP here on Monday.

According to the sources, the capping of well-head by special tools will automatically extinguish the fire, terminating the production of oil and gas from the well.

The sources while explaining the purpose of digging a trench around the well said, "it will help the experts in capping the well-head at a lower point of the well."

The working is continuing with an adequate progress to complete the task in an appropriate manner, the sources added.

All necessary arrangements including the airlifting of specialised equipments from Dubai and Housten, the sources said, were already finalised to control the fire at Bobi well.

The current operation is being launched in cooperation with a Singapore based agency 'Alert Disaster Control'.

The sources said, the specialised equipments airlifted from Housten and Dubai are being installed at the site of fire, while other required resources, moved from other oilfields of the country, were already made available at the site.

Earlier, it was decided not to extinguish fire deliberately as the uncontrolled hydrocarbon, if left unburnt, would have been more hazardous for the surroundings. Accordingly, the extinguishing of fire was deferred till the capping of the well.

Bobi well caught fire in the early hours on April 6 due to alleged tampering of valves.

The Sanghar police on Friday arrested three persons near Tando Adam who were allegedly involved in the fire incident at Bobi well in Sanghar.

The three accused, Rasool Bukhsh Lashkani, Shahban Lashkani and Yar Muhammad alias Yaroo Rajpoot said during investigations that OGDCL had not made any proper arrangement at the oilfield.

They, with the connivance of Kayo Bheel, an employee of OGDCL, had been pilfering gas and oil.

The accused said, as they stole oil and gas on the day of incident, when fire engulfed the area they ran away with fear.

The SSP Sanghar was reported as saying that Kayo Bheel, an employee of OGDCL, has also been apprehended who provided the equipment to the accused.

He said, the culprits used to sell oil and gas after extracting it from the well.ÑAPP