ONGC expects Hazira plant operational from August 21

In an attempt to raise the spirits of dysphoric eve of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation’s golden jubilee celebrations on Sunday, top government and company officials said that the corporation expects resumption of its flood hit Hazira gas plant in Gujarat by August 21.

ONGC’s 34,000 employees had decided to boycott the golden jubilee celebrations on August 14, in a protest of the Petroleum Ministry’s decision to decline a ‘Golden Jubilee reward’ to the employees. The unions are urging that each ONGC employee be given 100 shares in recognition of his "hard work, dedication, commitment and sacrifice" in the prodigious growth of ONGC.

However, it is expected that the state-owned flagship explorer ONGC may resume pumping gas into the country's major artery HVJ (Hazira-Vijaipur-Jagdishpur) supply line of GAIL, which is considered to be the lifeline for power and fertiliser industries in the western and northern region, from its stranded facilities in Gujarat from August 21, petroleum Minister Murli Deora said.

The Hazira gas processing plant was went out of functions on August 8 after water from the Ukai dam flooded it on August 7 and the expected 14 days operational losses are pointed at more than Rs. 280 crore (at the rate of Rs. 19-20 crore a day). The plant feeds 40 million cubic metres of natural gas a day into HVJ pipeline from its Bassein and joint venture Panna-Mukta-Tapti fields.

Speaking to media persons, Deora said a review had been executed of the situation and while the water has sloped backward and equipments are being mobilized, the clean up operations are still underway. “We hope to put back the plant in operation by August 21 and the HBJ pipeline by Aug 22,” he added.

"We have assessed the situation with ONGC and the Gujarat government. Gas is expected to flow from August 21 and it will take another day to build up pressure in the HVJ pipeline," petroleum secretary M S Srinivasan said.

A further cessation of operations could affect generation in Anta, Auraiya, Dadri and Badarpur plants of power giant NTPC and fertilizer units besides supply of CNG to Delhi.

Declining to disclose the exact figure, ONGC’s chairman and managing director, R.S. Sharma said, “We have already notified the damages to the insurance companies. This includes the equipment and machinery damage besides other revenue losses.”

ONGCs Hazira gas processing plant, which produces 1,650 tonne of LPG, 3,350 tonne of aromatic naphtha, 417 tone of kerosene and 48 tonne of diesel using the 40.5 mmscmd gas received from the Mumbai offshore fields, had to declare a ‘force majeure’ on the export of three naphtha cargoes due to plant cessation.