Cairn’s 5-well programme in rhino country
Cairn Oil & Gas has been told it should not disturb one-horned rhino habitats as it prepares to commercialise its DSF-2 field AA/ONDSF/HAZARIGAON/2018 in Assam's Golaghat district.
Vedanta-owned Cairn's plan to drill five development and production wells will likely face challenges securing wildlife clearances because Golaghat is home to the Kaziranga National Park and over 2600 one-horned rhinos, vulnerable to poaching and habitat loss. On September 4 (2023), Cairn received approval from the environment ministry's Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) after Vizag-based consultant SV Enviro Labs made a presentation.
Cairn wants to drill five wells at the 30.74-sq km field at Naharbari village in the Sarupathar administrative block. Cairn expects 3600 b/d and 736,238 cm/d (24m cf/d) from these wells from wells at four well-pads: HZRG-1 at Naharbari village (Lat: 26°16'13.30 "N; Long: 93°56'25.80 "E); HZRG-1D at Sarupavojan village (Lat: 26°15'16.72 "N; Long: 93°56'4.65 "E); JP-EXT-2 (Rengma 1) at Gorah Gaon village (Lat: 26°14'0.84 "N; Long: 93°56'59.10 "E) and JP-EXT-2D (Rengma 3) at Tengrajan village (Lat: 26°13'19.82 "N; Long: 93°55'44.97 "E).
HZRG-1 is an old well pad which ONGC drilled in 2007. Despite receiving environmental clearance, Cairn still awaits wildlife clearance for at least two wells.
Less than 10-km from well locations WP#HZRG-1 and WP#HZRG-1D lies the Nambor Wildlife Sanctuary, home to elephants, tigers, leopards, and deer. On August 29 (2023), Vedanta applied for wildlife clearance for these well pads.
"Environmental clearance is subject to prior wildlife clearance, including clearance from the Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL), in line with the ministry's August 8 (2019) order," writes the EAC. "Granting environmental clearance does not imply that wildlife clearance shall be granted to the project; the respective authorities will consider their proposal for wildlife clearance on its merit, and a decision will be taken; Cairn shall strictly follow the conditions mentioned in the existing NBWL clearance."
Cairn must prepare conservation and wildlife management plans for approval by the chief wildlife warden. Assam authorities held a public hearing at Naharbari village to clear the project on August 24 (2022).