Cairn wants five rigs + 3D seismic re-processed
Vedanta boss and Cairn India chief Anil Agarwal usually gets what he wants, or else.
PETROWATCH learns Cairn executives are scrambling to meet Agarwal’s target to raise oil production at onland Rajasthan block RJ-ON-90/1 to 300,000 b/d from today’s 175,000 b/d. Cairn will soon be looking for five 750-hp rigs to drill up to 180 ‘appraisal/development’ wells at the block’s Mangala oilfield over the next three years.
“Each well can be drilled in a week,” says a senior Cairn source. “I think we can drill 100 wells within the next year.
” Most onland drillers are likely to bid, including Shiv Vani, John Energy and Dewanchand Ramsaran. Cairn already has a 750-hp John Energy rig drilling development wells at the block.
“We are confident we can increase oil production to at least 225,000 b/d within a year,” says a Cairn source. “Mangala, Bhagyam and Aishwariya fields can easily produce that much together.
” Separately, Cairn is preparing to invite EoIs to contractors interested in re-processing 300-sq km 3D of Aishwariya. “Everything is ready to issue the EoI invitation next week,” confirms Cairn.
“Once we shortlist the companies we will issue a ‘limited’ tender in the next two months.” Cairn wants to complete 3D re-processing by March next year, two months after the start of a $221m development programme that will see 36 producers and 15 injectors drilled at Aishwariya.
Cairn expects the field to begin producing 3000 b/d from June next year. By 2014, Cairn expects Aishwariya production to rise to 10,000 b/d; by 2015 to 15,000 b/d; and by 2017 to 20,000 b/d.