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The Government of India has set up a high level independent Enquiry Committee to enquire into the major fire accident which took place in the Mumbai High North (MHN) processing platform of ONGC on 27th July, 2005. The Committee is to be chaired by Shri T.N.R. Rao, former Secretary (P&NG) and Major General (Retd.) S.C.N. Jatar, (Former C&MD, OIL & Chairman, ONGC Videsh Limited) and Director General, Coast Guard (or a senior level nominee) as members.
2. The terms of the reference of the Committee will be as follows :
i) The circumstances leading to the accident and adequacy of the response thereto.
ii) Whether the MSV was sea worthy and both the MSV as well as MHN complex had adequate safeguards and safety factors in accordance with International and Indian standards, to ensure that the platform and sensitive equipment do not get damaged by vessels/rigs?
iii) Whether the certification procedures and safety audit practices followed were adequate to prevent such accidents in relation to international norms and any suggested corrective measures for the future.
iv) To recommend action for improving the security of offshore oil and gas installations including the coordination and inspection aspects of security arrangements.
v) To review the emergency response capability of ONGC, with particular reference to fire and blowouts in the offshore and suggest measures for the upgradation of such capabilities to international standards,
vi) To examine the implementation of the recommendations of earlier enquiries and reports related to i) to iii) above to suggest whether these had been adequately implemented and
vii) The Committee would, while submitting its report, take into account and consider reports submitted by other agencies, statutory or otherwise, enquiring into the incident.
3. The Committee, if deems fit, may take assistance from Expert Agencies both in the Government as well as from outside.
4. The Committee has been given time to submit its report to the Government within 6 months.
5. It may be recalled that a major fire accident took place on MHN processing platform of ONGC on 27-7-05. The accident seemed to have taken place when ONGC’s multi-support vessel (MSV) ‘Samudra Suraksha’ operated by Shipping Corporation of India (SCI) on Management Contract basis collided with the platform. A total of 383 personnel were on the platform, MSV and a nearby drilling rig. 361 personnel were rescued. However, 11 personnel were confirmed dead and 11 personnel were reported missing in the unfortunate accident.
6. Mumbai High is the largest oil field of the country and prior to accident the oil production from the field was about 260,000 Barrel per day.
Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas
New Delhi: Bhadrapada 25 1927/ September 16 2005
RCJ/GS/ “Enquiry Committee – FA – Press Note(190905)”
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