DEVARAPALLI, Feb 23: The behaviour of the massive flames in the Mandapet West-1 well of the Oil and Natural Gas Commission (ONGC) here is so erratic that it has become difficult even to speculate on its intensity.

On Friday evening the flames suddenly vanished and only dense smoke was visible raising hopes that the well was collapsing. But within a few minutes the flames leaped to their height. However, the pressure of gushing flames was visibly reduced.

It was not clear till Saturday whether the well mouth is shattered or caved in giving way to the flames to gush out in different directions spreading like tree roots at the bottom. Unless the debris of the Rs 20 crore giagantic rig `Hit Drill' chartered from Tatas is cleared it would not be possible to ascertain the condition. It might take another week for creating a `water umbrella' to prove protective shield to the members of the Crisis Management Team to go nearer the well and take up debris clearing operation.Conflicting views are being expressed by ONGC authorities on the condition of the well casing as to whether it is intact or has blown off. One top official informed the ministers, district collector and the Superintendent of Police that the casing to a length of two and half kilometres was smashed and it came out due to the blowout impact. This was contradicted by another official of the same rank later.

However, both expressed hope that the well might collapse putting out the monstrous flames automatically.

However, the gushing out of a large number of big stones from the burning well has confused the authorities. They are not able to explain as to why the thundering sounds faded out within a day and why there are fluctuations in the intensity of the flames.

H S Garg, who is supervising the water management arrangements is of the opinion that only a small pocket of oil and gas was underneath at the depth of 2750 metres.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.