Petroleum Ministry Directs Oil Exploration Companies To Follow SOPs After Barge P305 Tragedy

The central government has asked the oil exploration and production companies to abide by the standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the safety of workers after over 70 per cent of contract employees passed away at barge P305 in the Arabian Sea during Cyclone Tauktae.

Oil companies have been asked by the Union Petroleum Ministry to activate their emergency response system and subsequently command every installation to follow the concerned SOPs.

This has been done in order to prepare for the IMD’s warning that Cyclone Yaas will most probably intensify into a very severe cyclone storm on the eastern coast of India.

Moreover, authorities from the central government have said that relief measures for the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic continue to be the topmost priority as the eastern states are the major sources of oxygen supplies across the country.

Around 75 teams of the NDRF have been airlifted from UP, Bihar and Gujarat and 59 of these are set to be deployed on the ground.

“Top priority shall be accorded to restarting production and movement of oxygen through road, railways and ships. Safety of medical equipment has also been given top priority,” one of the officials of the government was quoted by the Economic Times.