GSPC strikes gas in KG-21 well

Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation (GSPC), a Gujarat government- owned company, has made huge discovery of gas in the KG-21 well located on the western side of Deendayal West block at Krishna Godavari Basin off the Ahdhra Pradesh coast, official sources said.

“In the KG-21 well, we have made very big discovery of gas at 5,656 metres depth and 800-metre gas column has been encountered during the drilling operation,” said a senior official.

This is for the first time that gas was struck at the lowest portion of the reservoir, he said.

According to the initial estimate, this well could produce more than 100 million metre standard cubic feet gas per day. However, it is subject to approval by the

Director General of Hydrocarbons (DGH), sources said.

The DGH has already commercially certified a gas discovery of 1.26trillion cubic feet (TCF) in KG-22 well by GSPC in the Krishna-Godavari basin.

GSPC had claimed a commercial potential of 5.6 TCF before the DGH, but the DGH has certified a minimum discovery of 1.26 TCF, which is subject to upward revision on a more detailed appraisal.

However, if GSPC's claimed figure of 5.6 TCF is finally confirmed, KG-8, 15 and 28 together would be worth $28 billion (Rs 1.40 lakh crore).

GSPC has so far invested more than $800 million in the K-G project and plans to invest another $1.5 billion in exploration and bringing the find to Gujarat, sources added.