The Centre on Tuesday reviewed the uncontrolled gas leakage from an ONGC oil well in Sivasagar district since Thursday morning.

The situation on the ground remains unchanged, ONGC sources said, despite the energy major deploying its “most experienced” Crisis Management Team (CMT) to cap the gas gushing from the well, which has affected 350 families residing nearby.

Both Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Assam PCC president Gaurav Gogoi visited the affected site and met residents on Monday.

Union petroleum and natural gas minister Hardeep Singh Puri said in a post on X on Tuesday: “Reviewed and took update on well control activities being carried out by @ONGC_in well RDS 147A in Sivasagar district of Assam.”

He said: “The gas flow has continued since the past four days due to the extraordinarily high pressure in the well. The local residents had been immediately evacuated on day one and are being provided with all the relief and assistance adequately. Competent personnel have been brought from other work centres of ONGC and very high-capacity fire pumps, frack pumps, muds, etc. are all working at the site to control the fire.”

Puri revealed that ONGC is in “constant touch with international overseas experts” and that a water blanket is being continuously maintained for cooling and to prevent fire.

Both Sarma and Gogoi had raised the matter of the gas leak with Puri.

Assam chief minister Sarma said in Dibrugarh on Tuesday, “We are extremely worried about the ONGC gas leak in Sivasagar and are treating the situation with extreme caution.” He said the gas leak has affected 350 families currently living in relief camps.

The state government, he said, will provide ₹25,000 to each affected family from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund as interim relief, while compensation will be disbursed after assessment once the situation is under control.

Sarma said he has taken up the issue with ONGC chairman and managing director Arun Kumar Singh and that the energy major has sought help from an American expert “to kill the well”.

In a letter to Puri on Monday, Gaurav Gogoi flagged the concerns of the local residents and sought a thorough probe into the mishap.

“Livelihoods of locals have come to a standstill. They are staying away from their homes, cattle and crops. ONGC must explain the situation to them,” Gogoi said on Monday. Local residents have sought action against the private firm engaged in the servicing of the old and non-producing well when the blowout took place.

Gogoi posted on X on Tuesday: “I have written to the Union Petroleum Minister @HardeepSPuri ji regarding the ongoing gas leak at the ONGC rig in Sivasagar. The situation is alarming and demands urgent intervention. I hope the Ministry will act swiftly and provide answers to the many troubling questions raised.”

On Monday evening, ONGC stated it had deployed its “most experienced CMT — a team with a proven track record in managing complex well-control operations — to contain the gas leakage at Well RDS 147.”

The energy major flew in its first batch of CMT personnel from Gujarat and Hyderabad on Friday to assist the local team. The director (technical & field services) took operational control of the well on Saturday afternoon.