Oil India moves ahead with shale exploration
Oil India is expected to float a tender in October to carry out G&G studies for shale prospects at five blocks across two states.
Oil ministry officials granted Oil India approval on July 25 to carry out shale gas exploration work over the next three years at the 250-sq km Jaisalmer block in Rajasthan and the 23-sq km JAIRAMPUR Extension, 189-sq km Chabua, 500-sq km Dumduma and 186-sq km Dibrugarh blocks in Assam. Oil India has planned a pre-tender meet in the third week of September (next month).
“We’re collecting old data from the blocks,” says an Oil India officer. “Based on this data we’ll define the scope of work for G&G studies.
” Oil India plans to award the G&G tender by January 2015 and complete work by July 2015. It has committed to drill one exploratory well for each block under 200-sq km and two wells at each larger block.
Oil India also has an application pending to explore for shale gas in Arunachal Pradesh’s Deomali region.