ONGC starts another survey to study shifting of gas pipeline

Surat: Hopes for the extension of the runway at Surat International Airport have been rekindled with the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) initiating another survey to help the Airport Authority of India (AAI) with its proposed 905-m extension towards the Dumas side.
In an RTI reply, it was revealed that ONGC engaged Engineers India Ltd (EIL) for the feasibility study for re-routing its sour gas pipelines through the sea and Tapi River to reach Hazira. If the 36-inch diameter pipeline towards the Dumas side of the runway is shifted, the airport is likely to have a 905-metre extension. This means the runway length will increase from the present 2,905 mto 3,810 mif pipelines are re-routed into the sea and river, which pass through the airport premises at present.
The sour gas pipeline is just 250 maway from the end of the runway towards the Dumas side at present.
The issue was discussed in a recent Aerodrome Advisory Committee meeting headed by central minister CR Patil. In the minutes of this meeting, a copy of which is with TOI, the issue related to land acquisition for the runway extension was raised.
During the discussion, the AAI officials informed the participants that after the EIL report, ONGC informed the AAI that no culvert over the pipeline towards the Dumas side is possible technically due to maintenance restrictions.
"The study is scheduled to be completed by November 2025 and it will be submitted accordingly," participants were informed.
At present, out of 2,905 mof the runway, 615 mwas displaced towards Vesu due to the construction of various residential projects. So, only 2,290 mof the runway is used for landing and take-off.
There are two ONGC sour gas pipelines that exist in the Surat airport premises. They include 36-inch and 42-inch South Bassein Hazira Trunk (SBHT) pipelines, which were laid in 1985 and 1996 respectively. They are used to transport sour dry natural gas from Bassein Platform A (BPA) and Bassein Platform B (BPB) to Hazira in Surat.
The 42-inch diameter pipeline is just 350 maway from the runway on the Vesu side.