ONGC begins exploration in Kerala offshore

Oil and Natural Gas Corporation has begun an ambitious exploration programme in the Kerala–Konkan basin from today, engaging an ultra-deepwater drill ship. With a Rs 400-crore investment outlay, the company has charted an exploration programme to be completed within 100 days.

The ship, DDKG-1, will rig a well in the New Exploration Licensing Policy (Nelp) block offshore here, exploring an area of around 55 sq km. A target of a draft of 3,000 metre will be achieved within 15-20 days. The rig has been hired from Reliance.

ONGC CMD R S Sharma said the probing area was located about 70 nautical miles from the western coast. Addressing a press conference here today, he said the exploratory efforts expended so far in the basin had not resulted in any discovery and hence no reserves had been established yet. But, considering the available information, a probability of commercial hydrocarbon exploitation in the basin appeared promising.

The company has been exploring Kerala–Konkan offshore since 1977. Over the period, 12 wells had been drilled in this basin.