ONGC Makes Gas Discovery Offshore India

India’s state-owned oil and gas company ONGC has made an offshore gas discovery in NELP block KG-OSN-2004/1  in the Bay of Bengal India.

Exploratory well KG-OSN-04-NASA #1, located 25 km south of Narsapur, was drilled to a depth of 2669.43 m.

On testing the interval, 2537 – 2543 m, gas flowed at 4,09,453 m3/day through 3/8” choke. Another interval, 2246.5m – 2250m, also flowed gas at 4,74,722 m3/d and condensate of 51.2° API gravity at72 bopd through ½” choke.

“This high potential discovery augments the hydrocarbon volumes established through two earlier discoveries namely Chandrika South and Alankari in the block and is a significant boost to ONGC’s efforts towards attaining critical hydrocarbon volumes for viability of a possible ‘cluster based development’ for the block,” ONGC said.

India, among top five largest energy consumers in the world, is fighting to secure energy sources to meet the demand of its booming economy. According to U.S. Energy Information Administration, in early 2013, India’s petroleum minister Veerappa Moily said that the ministry would work on an action plan to make India energy independent by 2030 through increased hydrocarbon production, unconventional resources such as coalbed methane and shale, foreign acquisitions by domestic Indian companies, and reduced subsidies on motor fuels. These actions either increase India’s energy supply or lower demand.

A 2012 report by the IEA estimated that nearly 25 percent of the population lacks basic access to electricity, while electrified areas suffer from rolling electricity blackouts.