New Delhi, June 19 -- The recent natural gas blowout at Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC's) Bhatiapar well in Assam's Sivasagar district has raised several questions about the complexities and risks associated with oil and gas exploration. While such incidents are rare, they underscore the high-pressure challenges intrinsic to the sector and the significance of robust response mechanisms in maintaining operational safety and national energy security.

With gas continuing to leak from an ONGC crude oil well in Assam for the seventh straight day, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on June 18 urged Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Puri to direct the energy major to step up efforts to contain the blowout. In a letter to Puri, Sarma said ...