THE tragedy that led to 86 workers losing their lives in a cyclone offshore India last month must lead to significant safety improvements for the country's oil and gas sector. Three senior officials with Oil & Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) have been suspended while a ministerial-level investigation continues into the disaster that saw Cyclone Tauktae slam into the Indian state-owned operator's Mumbai High assets. Many of the vessels that were supporting production and exploration operations moved away from the predicted path of the typhoon after studying weather forecasts. However, three barges chartered by India's Afcons and Glory Shipping Management's tugboat Varapradha, which was towing one of the barges, failed to move out of harm's way. The Papaa 305 barge and the Varapradha capsized and sank, with 86 lives lost.
展开▼
