Eastern India braces for Cyclone Yaas - Oil & Gas industry gears up to mitigate the impact
New Delhi 25-May-2021
Merely two weeks after cyclone Tauktae wreaked havoc and left behind a trail of destruction, India is bracing for another cyclone, Cyclone Yaas, likely to make landfall at north Odisha - West Bengal coast between Paradip and Sagar Island on Wednesday evening.
Contingency Plan
As part of a major contingency plan, under the able stewardship of Hon'ble Union Minister Mr Dharmendra Pradhan, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas is taking all precautionary measures to mitigate the impact of cyclonic storm Yaas.
The Oil & Gas industry has made all arrangements to maintain adequate POL, CNG, LPG stock at all the dealerships in the area expected to be hit by the cyclone. Disaster Control Room at Corporate and Divisional level has been set up by the Oil and Gas companies for close coordination with Divisions and locations likely to be affected. The companies are also organising internal meetings to disseminate information to the field-level officers about the approaching cyclone, its severity, impact, and the possible devastation it can bring to the entire supply chain. Oil industry officials are in close coordination with Paradip and Haldia Port authorities on the berthing and de-berthing of vessels/barges at jetties. Activities at all project sites have been temporarily suspended, and the workers have been moved out to ensure their safety. All ships carrying POL products and crude oil have been advised to keep a safe distance from the cyclone's path.
The Oil and Gas industry is also geared up to ensure a continuous supply of petroleum products, other essential commodities, including medical oxygen, for continued COVID-19 management. All-out efforts are underway to ensure that the supply of Liquid Medical Oxygen (LMO) from the eastern part of India to the rest of the country doesn't get affected by the cyclonic storm.
Actions at Locations as per SOPs in place:
- Monitoring the weather reports from IMD, press releases from authentic sources for information on cyclone speed, path and likely impact.
- Keeping in constant contact with an Emergency cell of district administration, Department of Factories & Boilers, NDRF, Police and Fire Brigade.
- Following standard operating procedures as per Emergency Response Disaster Management Plan.
- Suspending all critical operations once the cyclone intensity increases.
- All stormwater drains are checked and cleaned.
- Arranging electrical/diesel pumps for removal of water from electrical trenches and other places.
- Downing of all high mast towers light fixtures. Lowering of Boom of all cranes and shifting the crane at a safe location.
- Removing all temporary connections including Project, shutdown units/operating units/Tank M&I.
- Stopping all works at height during the cyclonic storm.
- Post Cyclone, State Level Coordinator (SLC) of respective state shall be the nodal agency for overseeing the relief work in the affected state.
- Ensuring that multiple communication options are available throughout the crisis period.
- Advising transporters to park vehicles at a safe place en route to the destination in heavy rains/winds.
- Planned shutdown of identified hydrocarbon units to be taken before the wind speed exceeds, say, 60 - 80 kph (based on IMD forecast).
- At Aviation Fueling Stations, provisions in place to provide mobile refuelling near to calamity site for meeting rescue/relief air operations.
Actions at Single Point Mooring (SPM) Stations:
- Ensuring no Crude tanker at SPM.
- All Tankers scheduled to berth have been moved to safe areas away from the path of the cyclone.
- SPM hoses and hawsers to be secured to prevent damage. Maintenance and support vessels to return to shore.
- Taking backup of SCADA/important data of server & individual PC to avoid loss of the same in the event of inundation of the total facility
- Covering critical equipment like MLPUs, Boosters, etc. with waterproof sheets to prevent mud/ sand from entering the same
- Emptying sump tank & Evacuation of OWS (Oily Water Separator). Round the clock manning of OWS control room to track water evacuation.
Actions at ONGC drilling sites:
- Setting up Control Room at Radio Room in NVR Complex in Kakinada for coordinating & monitoring the evacuation/movement to safe locations of Rigs, Platforms, and Vessels.
- POB of rig Olinda Star reduced from 88 to 28
- As per SOP, removing all the supply vessels to safe locations and ensuring the safety of all the Rigs during the onset of the cyclone.
Actions at SALPG (Cavern Storage) terminal:
- Except for the essential operational activities, the rest of the works are suspended until the cyclone subsides to minimise the number of staff present at the terminal.
- Ship movements to be decided based on the advice of Visakh Port.
- Suspending Pipeline Transfer of LPG operations in case of rough weather conditions.
- LPG receipt and despatch pipelines to be de-pressurised by taking the product back into Cavern to prevent any accidental major product release.
Actions at IndianOil's Haldia & Paradip Refineries:
- Keeping additional workforce in each shift involved in essential activities of F&S, Operation, Maintenance and Utilities for effective manning and emergency handling.
- Cleaning of all Oil catchers inside the Refinery.
- Removing obstructions and cleaning wherever required in open channels, OWS and CRWS.
- Starting with additional boilers, Steam pressure reduces during heavy rain as an emergency backup to tackle the sudden drop in steam drum /header pressures.
- Adequate manning in Hospital, First Aid has been done, and Ambulances are kept ready in standby condition for handling any medical emergencies. First Aid Kits replenished at all locations.
Other Humanitarian Efforts to help people in Distress:
- Stocking enough LPG cylinders at all Cyclone Shelters in close coordination with District Authorities.
- Arranging standby diesel generators for Hospitals that do not have their own DG sets. And keeping adequate stocks of Diesel at the major hospitals in anticipation of power failure.
- Stocked up on cyclone relief kits which includes provisions, food materials etc., for distribution to affected areas.
- Topping up all fuel stations with sufficient stocks to prevent any fuel shortage.
- Ensuring that all LPG cylinder bookings are cleared on priority in the areas likely to be affected.
Mr Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister for Petroleum & Natural Gas and Steel, Govt. of India along with Mr Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Railways, Commerce & Industry, Consumer Affairs, and Food & Public Distribution, Govt. of India and Mr Mansukh Mandaviya, Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Govt. of India, yesterday interacted with the industry leaders and stakeholders to take stock of the preparedness and discuss the likely impact of severe cyclonic storm Yaas' .During the discussions all three ministers urged the concerned stakeholders along the East Coast, including the Private and Public sector, Central and State Govt. agencies to work in tandem towards minimizing damages.
