Tripura's proven gas reserves shoot up to 26bn cubic metres
First details are beginning to emerge of a major new gas find in Tripura, located on the border with Bangladesh.
The strike was first reported in February this year. A Petrowatch correspondent in Tripura writes that ONGC has uncovered two new structures, believed to be rich in gas deposits: the AGAD structure near Agartala Dome, with recoverable gas reserve of 4.58bn cubic metres and the Trichna Extension (TE) structure in south Tripura bordering Bangladesh's Chittagong Hill Tracts, with recoverable gas reserves of 2.1bn cubic metres.
A senior ONGC drilling source in Tripura tells Petrowatch the structures were discovered, "by drilling only one well in each". He said the new gas finds have helped ONGC increase recoverable gas reserves in Tripura from 19bn cubic metres at the beginning of the year to 26bn today.
Estimates of probable in-place gas reserves for Tripura have also increased to around 50bn cubic metres. This report learns ONGC intends to drill 11 more wells in Tripura by the end of 2001 - part of a 23 well exploration programme.
Six of these will be around Agartala Dome and Trichna. Since 1997, ONGC has drilled 12 wells in the state.
ONGC has also floated a tender for the acquisition of seismic data in Tripura. "We need better quality data, better than what we have," learns Petrowatch, "If we have better data, we will strike it big.
This area is sitting on a goldmine." An Australian and a US have responded to the tender.