Oil India to drill first Rajasthan well in July
Oil India will begin drilling its first exploration well at block RJ-ONN-2001/1 in Rajasthan in July this year.
We have identified three locations, a senior Oil India official tells us. We wanted to drill the well in December last year but the block is near the Pakistan border and the area was mined so we could not get defence clearance in time.
RJ-ONN-2001/1 is located some 600-km west from Cairn Energys block RJ-ON-90/1 and its series of discoveries that include the giant Mangala oilfield. Oil India is in Phase-I of its minimum work programme at the 3425-sq km NELP-III block, where it is committed to acquire 250-sq km 3D and drill three wells each to a depth of 1600 to 1800 metres.
Separately, Oil India tells us it has delayed drilling at its NELP-II block RJ-ONN-2000/1 and has obtained an extension from the DGH to the Phase-II work programme, which commits it to one well. This will now be drilled in July 2007.