GAIL prepares for eight-well drilling campaign
GAIL has begun issuing tenders for a $26m eight-well exploratory drilling programme at its onland Cambay basin block CB-ONN-2010/11 which it hopes to begin by January 2016.
GAIL, which jointly operates the block with Bharat Petro Resources, issued a tender on August 25 to hire a 1000-hp onland rig to drill five ‘firm’ and three ‘contingent’ wells. A September 29 bid deadline has been set and rates are expected to be around $15,000/day.
Essar Oilfield Services, Quippo Oil and Gas and John Energy confirmed plans to attend a pre-bid at GAIL’s office in Noida on September 9. Essar has a rig drilling at IndianOil’s nearby Cambay block CB-ONN-2005/7 while John has a rig at Cambay block CB-ONN-2009/5, operated by NTPC.
Quippo, which is marketing seven Shiv Vani rigs, is also hungry for work. “A few drillers in Indonesia and the Middle East are also showing interest,” says a driller.
GAIL simultaneously issued a tender for wireline logging. “We’ve issued tenders to buy casing,” confirmed a GAIL source on September 7.
“Other tenders for drillbits, X-Mas trees, liner hangers and mud-logging are also planned.” GAIL adds that by early October it will have issued tenders for all services required.
By then it also hopes to have received formal clearance from the environment ministry. “Everything is done,” we hear.
“Only a formal letter is pending.”