Bengal promise as ONGC shifts well locations
For now West Bengal produces no oil or gas but ONGC (75% and operator) and Oil India (25%) want to change that at WB-ONN-2005/4.
On February 22, ONGC applied for permission to change the drilling location of three planned wells after encouraging results from its Patuli-1 well drilled and completed end-2014. "Based on (Patuli-1) drilling results," reads an ONGC note, "three out of five remaining drilling locations are proposed to be slightly shifted for better prospects." Wells earlier proposed at villages Sutra, Panchpota and Jalore will now be drilled at villages Matikurma, Takshali and Raypur, says ONGC.
All fall within a 5-km radius of the earlier locations in the Nadia district. In hand is environment ministry clearance to drill six wells secured by ONGC on June 25, 2014.
Five wells were committed in ONGC's Minimum Work Programme bid to win this NELP-VII block. All will be drilled to between 1500-4500 metres TD and ONGC estimates each well will cost Rs30cr ($4.5m) to drill.
Spud in August 2014 using an in-house 2000-hp rig, ONGC reported oil traces at Patuli-1 at 2300 metres TD.