Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) has invited expression of interest (EoI) to pre-qualify bidders for drilling and completion services and supply of equipment and materials for exploration and production of coal-bed methane (CBM).
With its entry in CBM exploration, the company is optimistic of making its presence felt among the companies already engaged in the field.
RIL has been awarded two blocks -- Sohagpur (West) and Sohagpur (East) in Shahdol district of Madhya Pradesh for CBM exploration and production under CBM Policy-I of the Central government. The EOI is meant for services, supplying material and equipment and also for construction of surface facilities.
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The company which is already in the field of exploration and production (E&P) will enter into a new avenue with the start of the first phase of the work.
"Reliance holds a 30 per cent interest in an unincorporated joint venture with BG Exploration & Production (India) Ltd and Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), to develop and produce the proven oil and gas fields such as Panna, Mukta and Tapti. The production from the Panna-Mukta and Tapti fields is presently being sold to the Indian Oil Corporation and Gas Authority of India Ltd, respectively," said an official spokesperson.
Reliance also holds interest in 19-exploration acreage in a consortium with other E&P companies. The blocks cover a wide range of geological settings, spanning shallow and deep waters on east and west coast of the country. Reliance is an operator in 14 of these blocks, awarded through a process of open international bidding, under the Centre's New Exploration Licensing Policy.
"Recently the government awarded four additional exploration blocks to a consortium of Reliance Industries and Hardy Exploration & Production (India) Inc under NELP-II," said the spokesperson.
For CBM, Reliance is looking for interested parties to work for mobile land drilling, CBM air and mist drilling, corehole drilling, mud engineering and also works like geophysical logging and perforation. Reliance is also looking for construction and fabrication of surface facilities to be provided for the CBM exploration and production.