Exploration for crude oil, natural gas in northern bank of Brahmaputra to start soon: Oil India Limited
May 02, 2023
Guwahati (Assam) [India], May 2 : The exploration for crude oil and natural gas in the northern bank of Brahmaputra in Assam will start soon and Oil India Limited is working on it.
Oil India Ltd CMD Ranjit Rath on Monday said, "There are lots of areas in the northern bank of Brahmaputra in Assam where exploration for crude oil and natural gas will be started."
"Oil India Limited has made plans for it and these areas are also being covered. We have done seismic data collection," the CMD of Oil India Limited said.
In February this year, the Assam government signed petroleum exploration license (PEL) deeds of two open acreage licensing policy (OALP) blocks with the Oil India Limited.
The area under block AS-ONHP-2021/2, measuring 2445.30 sq. km, falls in Barpeta, Nalbari, Baksa and Kamrup districts, whereas block AS-ONHP-2021/3, measuring 1840.87 sq. km, is spread in Udalguri, Kamrup and Darrang districts of the state.
While interacting with media in Guwahati on Monday, the Oil India Limited CMD said that in Arunachal Pradesh, Oil India Limited is carrying out exploration.
"Lots of discussions are going on for Nagaland and when the issues will be sorted out, we will immediately start our works," Ranjit Rath said.
On the other hand, Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) Managing Director Bhaskar Jyoti Phukan said that, along with other parts Myanmar has been on their radar.
"Sagaing province of Myanmar is a very potential area and around 30 lakh people are living in that area. We have very specific plan to go to the area and open up retail outlets there. Plan is still there. The regime change had delayed the plan," Bhaskar Jyoti Phukan said.
Oil India Limited is contributing 10 per cent of India's total oil and 8 per cent of gas production.
With Mission 4 plus, Oil India Limited has targeted to produce 4 MMT of crude oil and 5000 MMSCM of natural gas in FY24.
