Vedanta's special plea for Bharuch campaign
Many smaller companies would have no luck, but Vedanta-promoted Cairn Oil & Gas is a different story.
Cairn has made a special request to the environment ministry as it prepares for its 51-well appraisal and development campaign at OALP-1 block CB-ONHP-2017/2 - the site of its promising Jaya discovery. Cairn wants permission to increase the actual geographical surface coordinates of well-pad locations within a 2000-metre radius of the proposed (tentative) coordinates while maintaining a safe distance from any significant human habitat, water body, forest, ecologically sensitive zone or road.
But environment ministry rules typically allow for only a 500-metre radius. On July 17 (2024), Cairn’s deputy general manager (environment), Dilip Kumar Bera, submitted a 14-page reply to the environment ministry’s queries about the break-up of 51 wells drilled from 22 well pads.
Bera said Vedanta will drill three wells from each of the following nine well-pads: JSW-1 P2; JW-2 P2; JW-2 P3; JSW-2 P3; JSW-2 P4; JSW-3 P2; JSW-P3; JSW-P4 and JSW-4 P2. He added that Vedanta wants to drill two wells each from the following 11 well-pads: Jaya P2; Jaya P3; JSW-1; JW-1; JW-1 P2; JW-1 P3; JW-2; JSW-2; JSW-2 P2; JSW-3; and JSW-4 P1.
One well each will be drilled from two well pads: YME-1 and Jambusar (Jaya). In its application, Cairn expects the estimated Rs2385.22cr ($285m) campaign to last over 12 years at the 317-sq km block in Gujarat's Bharuch district.
On February 28 (2024), Cairn submitted a proposal seeking fresh Terms of Reference (ToR) for its 51-well campaign, following up with letters on May 10 (2024) and June 12 (2024) with its special request to the ministry to increase the well pad radius size. Besides drilling, Cairn also plans facilities, including a central processing terminal for well fluid, a 60-km pipeline to collect the well fluid from the well pads and carry it to the central processing terminal, another 60-km pipeline network for effluents, plus living quarters and other amenities.