Date:10/12/2005 URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2005/12/10/stories/2005121002500300.htm

Back ONGC drills first well in Mahanadi basin

Pratim Ranjan Bose

Kolkata , Dec. 9

WITHIN a month-and-a-half of being awarded environmental clearance, ONGC has drilled its first well in the Mahanadi basin. The company is scheduled to carry out exploratory drilling at MN-OSN- 2002/2 and MN-DWN-98/3 offshore blocks.

While the company is prospecting the location for the second well, drilling activity in the basin has been stopped for nesting of Olive Ridley turtles, as directed by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests.

Mr B. K. Pande, Director (Exploration), told Business Line that the drilling rig would now be shifted from Mahanadi to the Krishna-Godavari basin. "We will return to Mahanadi after 4-5 months."

Meanwhile, ONGC's exploratory drilling in Bengal offshore is running far behind the schedule due to recurrence of a technical snag at the first well.

This is despite receiving preliminary indications of a gas reserve.

The company was scheduled to drill four wells in two years from March 2005.

The drilling of the first well was slated to be over in September.

"There were a lot of complications in the first well," a senior official said.

"The prevailing conditions suggest that we cannot reach the targeted depth through the main well hole.

"So we are now trying to reach the same through side tracking (i.e., drilling an inclined hole). We are hopeful that the well will hit the target in the next 10-15 days."

Coal-bed methane

ONGC will commission exploratory drilling for coal-bed methane in Rajasthan shortly. Development drilling will continue at the identified six sq km block in Bokaro and its adjoining areas in Jharkhand.

The company has five blocks in Jharkhand and one each in West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan.