New Delhi: Averting a major disaster, ONGC (Oil and Natural Gas Corporation) has plugged spillage on the main undersea trunk pipeline linking its Mumbai offshore fields even as it began talks with the employees' union to avert a strike from August 13.

"The leakage at the Mumbai High-Uran undersea trunk pipeline has been located and repair plan is underway. Crude oil is being diverted through ICP-Heera pipeline and operations are normal," ONGC Director (Technical) N Lal told reporters from Mumbai.

Lal said the pipeline, linking Mumbai High North oilfield to Uran near Mumbai, was shut down immediately after the leakage on August 10 evening. "There is a thin oil column about 120 nautical miles off the Ratnagiri coastline."

Special powder has been air-sprayed in the spillage area and things are under control, he said.

State-run ONGC officials said the Mumbai High field was producing 90 per cent of its 250,000 barrels per day production while gas production was 9 million standard cubic meters per day as against normal production of 10 mmscmd (million standard cubic metres per day).

Besides Mumbai High oil field, the pipeline also transported 90,000 barrels per day output from Heera and Neelam fields in the region.

ONGC Director (Offshore) V K Sharma said employees have threatened to go on strike from August 13 in protest against August 11 helicopter crash in which 27 people are feared dead.

"The operations are normal today and we are continuing negotiations with them to avert a strike," he said.

PTI