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ONGC flouts gas rules

GDUs awarded to contractor operating illegally: MP
Kakinada: The Oil and Natural Gas Corporation has failed to dehydrate the gas under the Krishna-Godavari basin. It is alleged that the ONGC wrongly selected the contractor who came up with no results.
The ONGC had proposed Gas Dehydration Units (GDU) in 10 places under the KG Basin in the aftermath of the GAIL pipeline blast at Nagaram in Konaseema. This was under the initiative of Amalapuram MP Pandula Ravindra-babu. Already five GDUs have been set up in East Godavari district.
The purpose of the GDU is to extract water from hydrocarbons. The temperature of carbon monoxide and other gases should be brought to zero degrees from 13 or 14 degrees which results in bringing up ‘quality gas’, according to private oil exploration companies who maintain GDUs effectively.
“The GDUs are not working properly everywhere nor are they serving the intended purpose. The dew points of hydrates and hydrocarbons are not of prescribed standard. This may result in a repeat of the gas pipeline bursts which occurred in Nagaram recently, kill-ing 29 people instantly,” Mr Ravindrababu, who has submitted a representation to this effect to the Union Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gases in Parliament, told Deccan Chronicle .
Mr Ravindrababu alleged that the Rajahmundry unit awarded the contract for the supply of the GDU to the contractor who was booked under the CrPC in 1994. He was reportedly operating an illegal gas refinery elsewhere and had been arrested by the local police.
He urged the Central government to send a team of experts to make a thorough inquiry on the working of the GDU to ensure the proper safety and security of the residents in the neighbourhood so that a disaster similar to the one at Nagaram did not recur.
According to chemical reports on the functioning of GDUs, the hydrates from the gas have not been brought to ‘zero’ level. “If these things are not rectified, there is the threat of a gas pipeline blast,” Mr Ravindrababu said.

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( Source : deccan chronicle )
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