NG Construction wins ONGC Kashmir survey
Kashmir has long been a conflict-prone region, but that isn't stopping ONGC from making plans to explore for oil and gas there.
On June 12 (2024), ONGC awarded an Rs2,994,941 ($35,840) contract to West Bengal-based NG Construction for a surface geochemical and geo-microbial survey in the Kashmir Valley in the Karewa basin. A geochemical survey is an analysis of the composition of rocks and soil to determine the presence of minerals.
A geomicrobial study can help find hydrocarbons. On April 12 (2024), ONGC opened technical bids for the tender floated on March 22 (2024).
ONGC received three bids from Mumbai-based Bhaskram Jyotish Anusandhan Kendra, Assam-based Kareng Construction & Civil Engineering Consultancy, and NG Construction. "Bhaskram and Kareng were disqualified based on their technical bids," says an ONGC source.
After evaluating technical bids, ONGC opened NG Construction's price bid. Under the contract, NG Construction must survey the area and sample locations using a grid pattern.
NG Construction must drill dry holes between 3.5 to 5 metres and collect soil samples at 1-1.5 metres for a microbial survey and 3.5-5 metres for an adsorbed gas survey. Samples must be packed in an aluminium foil packet and sent to ONGC's Dehradun-based KD Malaviya Institute of Petroleum Exploration (KDMIPE) for analysis.
Wanted are 900 soil samples in a grid pattern of 0.5 x 0.5-km across 250-sq km. "Dry holes should be drilled down to five metres without using any drilling medium or water with the help of drilling equipment," reads the tender.
NG Construction must fill and close the holes after collecting samples and complete the contract within 60 days from the LoA. Located in the north-western Himalayas, the 6671-sq km Karewa basin is one of 14 Category-III basins with no discoveries.
According to the DGH's India's Hydrocarbon Outlook - 2022-23, Karewa has 6m tonnes of oil equivalent in place. On June 21 (2024), Narendra Modi also showed interest in Jammu and Kashmir, attending a yoga event in the summer capital Srinagar, where he posed for selfies.