Digboi: Digboi Refinery conducted a Level-2 Onsite Emergency Disaster Mock Drill late Friday night to assess its preparedness for a major industrial emergency, with refinery personnel, CISF and mutual-aid agencies taking part in the exercise.
The drill was carried out during the late hours of August 21 and simulated a high-risk naphtha fire to evaluate emergency response systems, communication, coordination and casualty management under crisis conditions.
According to the simulated scenario, a significant hot naphtha leak developed from the 4-inch bottom outlet flange located upstream of the Remotely Operated Shutdown Valve (ROSOV) of the Naphtha Splitter (034-CC-001). The leak was assumed to have created a hydrocarbon vapour cloud, which subsequently resulted in a flash fire and pool fire.
A Level-1 emergency was declared at 11:15 pm, followed by a Level-2 emergency at 11:22 pm as the situation was assumed to escalate. The Emergency Control Room was activated and designated response teams and emergency coordinators were deployed.
The exercise brought together Digboi Refinery’s emergency response teams, CISF personnel, and mutual-aid partners from Oil India Limited, HOEC, and AGCL. The participating agencies tested firefighting operations, emergency communication, decision-making, and coordination during the simulated incident.
A simulated Green Corridor was also established to test the medical evacuation process. Under the exercise, an injured person was transported from AOD Hospital to Assam Medical College and Hospital in Dibrugarh, allowing officials to assess coordination between the refinery’s emergency teams and external medical facilities.
The simulated fire was eventually brought under control, following which the ‘All Clear’ was declared at 12:12 am by Chief Incident Controller Ran Moni Mahanta, CGM (T), in coordination with Rahul Prashant, Executive Director-cum-Refinery Head, Digboi Refinery.
Speaking to Northeast Now, Prashant said such exercises are aimed at ensuring that emergency preparedness goes beyond written procedures and translates into coordinated action during an actual crisis.
He said mock drills allow the organisation to assess its systems, personnel, communication channels and response mechanisms in simulated emergency conditions, while identifying gaps that can be addressed before a real incident occurs.
“The essence of such drills is to identify gaps before an actual incident occurs, strengthen coordination among all stakeholders and, above all, ensure the safety of our people, assets and the environment,” Prashant said.
The late-night exercise also tested the refinery’s ability to rapidly mobilise resources and coordinate with external agencies during a major industrial emergency, with safety of personnel and protection of critical infrastructure remaining the key priorities.