Cause Wellhead blowout Area onshore | Casualties Nil Dates 8 Jan 1995 – 15 Mar 1995 | |
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Volume 200 meter column of fire Operator Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Locations Pasarlapudi, Andhra Pradesh | ||
The Pasarlapudi blowout was an oil rig blowout that took place on 6.50 pm, 8 January 1995 in Pasarlapudi, near Kakinada in the East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh, India. It was the largest blowout ever recorded in the history of the India's oil and natural gas exploration with a fire that engulfed drilling site number 19, rig number E 1400-18GF. The fire continued for 65 days. Initially Neil Adams Fire Fighters(NAF, Houston) was hired to bring fire under control. After ONGC disagreed with their strategy NAF left and it was finally brought under control on 15 March 1995 by International Well Control. The blowout did not cause any casualties, but the drilling rig was destroyed. Damages to the drilling rig were estimated at Rs 9.2 crore crore as well as about Rs 7 crore of damage to equipment at the well site area.
Evacuation
7 villages within the 2 kilometers radius of the rig, approximately 1,500 people were evacuated immediately by APSRTC buses. More people fled in panic from the nearby villages.