More ONGC seismic for northeast and south
ONGC is in a hurry to acquire more seismic in northeastern and southern India.
On August 12 (2024), ONGC's Delhi-based Central Exploration Services Procurement Group (CESG) issued two seismic tender notices: one for 2D and 3D in Tripura with a September 2 (2024) bid deadline; the other for Vertical Seismic Profiling (VSP) in Assam, Tripura and Mizoram, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu with a September 21 (2024) bid deadline. Under the first tender, mainly for Tripura, ONGC wants 2D in two sectors between November 1 (2024) and June 30 (2025).
In the first sector, ONGC wants to shoot 308-lkm 2D in three areas: Area-1 in South Gojalia, which includes the Gojalia PML; Area-2, where ONGC wants regional long offset 2D across large areas; and Area-3, which will see a survey of the 44-sq km OALP-3 block AA-ONHP-2018/4 or Bogapha. In Sector-2, ONGC wants 52-sq 3D in the Longai PH-II area, straddling Tripura, Assam and parts of Mizoram.
"Mostly, it will be Tripura and Assam and perhaps parts of Mizoram," says a potential bidder. "It is in the fold-belt."
The Longai River flows from the hills in Tripura, but this sector's overall topography includes Assam's Karimganj district near the Bangladesh border. Seismic contractors can bid for one sector or both.
Tripura isn't the most accessible state to work in, but ONGC has tried to mitigate this by making it easier for companies to declare Force Majeure. Over the past two years, the area has seen massive protests by the Tipra Motha political party led by Tripura's royal scion Pradyot Bikram Manikya Deb Barma.
Yet vendors say this agitation has reduced over the past three quarters, following talks with the central government in Delhi and after elections. "Work on other seismic contracts resumed in March (2024)," says one source.
ONGC invited offers for the Tripura seismic tender on August 12 (2024) and plans to open technical bids on September 2 (2024). Still to be evaluated are the pre-bid queries sent by the bidders.