EXCOM chief plans staff expansion and streamlining
Most Indian and foreign companies dealing with India’s state-owned ONGC will have no problem recognising Sadanand Thakur.
Two months ago when Thakur, 58, was with the DGH he was the interface between the government and Indian and foreign oil companies interested in bidding for oil and gas blocks in the recently concluded NELP-VII licensing round. After being with the DGH for five years, Thakur has now gone back to ONGC.
In his new role as the head of ONGC’s Exploration Contract Monitoring Group, or EXCOM, Thakur plans some changes. “I am trying to streamline things here,†a relaxed Thakur told PETROWATCH earlier this week.
“I wanted to come back to my parent company immediately after NELP-VII concluded.†Among the first of many priorities, Thakur wants to hire more staff (on deputation) to handle an increasing workload.
“We are a team of 12 people as of now. Soon, I intend to double staff levels.
†Another Thakur priority, we learn, is to move EXCOM’s office to central Delhi from its present location, the fifth floor of CORE-5 in the SCOPE Complex at Lodhi Road. “We plan to move into a new office at the eighth floor of the Hindustan Times building near Connaught Place,†Thakur tells us.
“It is a well furnished office. If all goes to plan, we will move there in 15-20 days.
†Another reason for the move is that EXCOM wants an office closer to ONGC exploration colleagues at the head office in Connaught Place. “EXCOM reports to ONGC director exploration DK Pande.
It will be easier for us to operate if the offices are closer.†EXCOM, we hear, also wants to streamline information flows from its various basins to the DGH and the oil ministry by using uniform formats.
“ONGC has 65 active NELP blocks and a massive amount of information is sent from various basins to all the concerned departments. We need uniformity in communication.
†EXCOM has now appointed â€کnodal officers’ to coordinate the flow of information between the basins, ONGC, the DGH and the oil ministry because, “internal communications with the basins was getting neglected.â€