Essar under watch over 'illegal' coal-bed methane extraction in West Bengal

The issue is similar to a dispute between Oil and Natural Gas Corporation and Reliance Industries over the latter drawing gas from the state-run company's block

Essar Oil & Gas Exploration and Production (EOGEPL), India’s largest coal-bed methane (CBM) producer, is under the government’s scanner for allegedly drawing gas outside its licensed area at Raniganj in West Bengal.

According to sources close to the development, the Ministry of Coal and the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG) are looking at a complaint against the company. The complaint states the company has drilled 40-50 wells outside the licensed area. 

A local contractor complained about this to the Directorate General of Hydrocarbons (DGH) and the MoPNG. Later, it was forwarded to the Ministry of Coal.