Essar sees recoverable shale gas prospects in West Bengal's Raniganj block

This comes at a time when Union Cabinet relaxed rules for Coal India to extract natural gas below coal seams in its blocks

Essar Oil & Gas Exploration and Production (EOGEPL) has said the company is expecting reserves of at least 1.5 trillion cubic feet (tcf) of recoverable shale gas in its Raniganj block in West Bengal, which could require investment of at least $1 billion. 

It currently produces around 1.5 million standard cubic metres of gas per day (mscmd) of coal-bed methane (CBM) and will go ahead with its shale plans after further policy clearance from the government. “Our expansion plans are on fast-track and we are looking to produce at least 2.5 mscmd by March 2021,” said Vilas Tawde, chief executive officer,