ONGC makes new discoveries of 10 mmt oil in Assam

This is the biggest discovery for the oil behemoth in the state after a gap of three years

What could be said as its biggest discovery after a gap of three years in Assam, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) has made reserve accretion of 10 million metric tonnes (MMT) of oil in the state.  

The area of the discovery falls in Jorhat district and two wells, one each at Sufayam and Dayalpur, have already been drilled to exploit this 10 MMT reserve.

The two new wells are producing around 50 tonnes of oil daily, thus taking the total daily production of Jorhat asset from 350 tonnes to 400 tonnes.

‘We are now putting enhanced focus on production besides continuing with our exploration activities. As soon as we make onshore discoveries of oil or gas, our target is to soon start production from them. First time in three years we have made reserve accretion in Assam of 10 MMT.  Within two months’ time we created facilities and put these two fields into production,” said Ved Prakash Mahawar, director (onshore) of ONGC.

Mahawar said the company would achieve the target set for the production in Assam in the year 2016-17. The target of production for 2016-17 for Assam asset and Jorhat asset collectively is 0.96 MMT. “We will achieve 100 per cent target this year. Till now 98 per cent target achieved,” Mahawar added.

Mahawar further said the company wishes to re-enter Nagaland and exploit the discovered reserves there. ONGC, he said, would however, like to work out on modalities with the Nagaland government as how to go ahead, whether solo or in partnership with the state government etc., before entering the state again.

“We have already let known the ministry (union ministry of petroleum and natural gas) that Nagaland has substantial reserves and it rests on the ministry how it puts those reserves into production mode,” he said.  The company was present in the state till 1994 when it quit in the wake of violent militant activities.

In Tripura, where ONGC is producing natural gas, the company plans to take up its daily production from 45 lakh cubic metres (LCM) to 50 LCM and this additional output may go to the 726 MW ONGC Tripura Power Company (OTPC).

With regard to Arunachal Pradesh Mahawar said: “We came to know that the state has reserves of gas but we need to undertake exploration.”