ONGC identifies 63 deepwater locations for drilling
By any standard it's a big number, and for international contractors with expertise in deepwater drilling, a potentially huge opportunity.
Petrowatch learns ONGC has identified a total of 63 "deepwater locations" - areas where it plans to drill deepwater wells. They range from locations at less than 400 metres depth (2), to wells at more than 2,500 metres (14).
We learn that most of them will be in areas where ONGC already has a Petroleum Exploration License (34), while the rest will be in acreage awarded under rounds one and two of the New Exploration Licensing Policy (29). If all goes to plan, the wells will be drilled over the next six years.
(see below) Water Depth Year Total 2001-2 2002-3 2003-4 2004-5 2005-6 2006-7 < 400 metres 2 2 400-1,000m 3 3 3 2 2 16 1,000-1,500m 2 5 2 1 1 11 1,500-2,000m 1 3 6 1 11 2,000-2,500m 1 5 1 2 9 >2,500 1 3 4 4 2 14 Total 5 7 15 14 14 8 63 A further breakdown reveals that of the 34 "locations" selected in PEL areas, 18 are on the west coast and 16 on the east coast, while the 29 "locations" selected for blocks under NELP, five are in the three deepwater blocks won under NELP-I and 24 are in the deepwater blocks won under NELP-II.