Production resumes at ONGC Hazira gas plant

21 August 2006

Mumbai: Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) has resumed production at its Hazira gas plant in Gujarat, which tripped last week due to flash floods.

"Hazira Plant of ONGC has begun operations with revival of first phase of the plant operations with gas supplies at 6 MMSCMD at 1830 hours today (19.8.06). The plant had stopped gas supplies of 40 MMSCMD because of heavy floods. The re-starting of gas supplies could be made operational two days ahead of schedule on account of round-the-clock restoration services pressed into operations by ONGC management; with committed efforts at the highest level," a company press release said.

The plant had stopped gas supplies of 40 mmscmd because of heavy floods. ONGC has undertaken round-the-clock restoration work to resume gas supplies ahead of schedule, the release said.

Unprecedented floods had forced a complete shut-down of Hazira plant from midnight of August 7-8. The floodwaters from the Tapti River had inundated the plant area with water level at some places as high as 18 feet. The floods had severely damaged almost all the units in the plant, the release added.

Hazira plant supplies gas to more than 18 industries downstream through HVJ pipeline of GAIL. The closure of plant had caused daily loss of about Rs21 crore to ONGC.

The restoration work would continue and the normal supplies of 40 mmscmd would be restored in a phased manner by the third week of September.