Immediately after the leak was detected, the Regional Contingency Plan and the National Oil Spill Disaster Contingency Plan was activated to ensure minimum damage to the environment.
The oil and gas production from Mumbai High is being diverted to the ICP-Heera Uran Trunk (HUT) pipeline. The production loss may last for about three hours only.
As per the estimates of the ONGC, 22,000 barrels of oil were lost. The MUT pumps 2,12,000 barrels of oil per day.
“The spill has spread over one square nautical mile or two square kilometres. Till now, the exact reason behind the rupture has not been ascertained. Out of the 50 tonnes of oils that were spilled, at least half has already been contained,” deputy inspector-general, Coast Guard, and chief staff officer (operations) Mukesh Purohit said.
According to Coast Guard officers, the condition of the weather is fortuitous as the breeze is taking away the spill away from the coast of Maharashtra. Hence, neither the oil spill or nor the tar balls formed while containing the spill will reach the coast.
Although the leak was observed at 8.45 am, the Coast Guard received an emergency call only at 9.50 am, over an hour after the spill. Furthermore, Coast Guard officers claimed that the ONGC did not have enough equipment to control the oil spill. Hence, the Coast Guard had to take immediate measures.