Despite the ongoing agitation by Oil and Natural Gas Corporation employees, crude production from Bombay High continues to be on the high. The reservoir alone contributes 70 per cent of ONGC's total crude production in India.

"The corporation's crude production was higher at 306,603 barrels today compared with the average 280,000 - 290,000 barrels of oil per day. Even gas production was marginally up at 48.136 mmscmd (average gas produce is at 48 mmscmd)," an ONGC spokesperson said.

ONGC has already operated 22 sorties taking employees from the heli-base at Juhu to various oil rig platforms off the Mumbai coastline.

While crude continues to flow from the wells at Bombay High, the ONGC management has set up an 11-point agenda to rehabilitate the bereaved families.

It has also set up teams to co-ordinate relief and rehabilitation measures and compensate families along with requisite forms for formal submission of their claims.

Even interview boards for various levels are expected to be constituted by ONGC to examine the suitability of the nominee for the entitled post.

However, the local arm of the Association of Scientific and Technical Officers (ASTO) along with the Petroleum Employees Union, Karmachari Sanghatana and All India SC/ST Employees Welfare Association held condolence meeting at the gates of Vasudhara Bhavan, ONGC's corporate office in Mumbai.

The union leaders have decided not to co-operate and continue with the 12-hour hunger strike from dawn to dusk.

The unions have also decided to go on work to rule at all base offices and tool down in all offshore installations. The agitation follows the chopper crash that killed 20 ONGC employees and three contract workers.