After CBM deal with GAIL, Essar Oil & Gas eyes shale extraction

Will place proposal later this month to do so at Raniganj block in Bengal; Rs 9-bn capex planned over next 3 years

Essar Oil & Gas Exploration and Production (EOGEP) is readying a proposal for extraction of shale gas from the Raniganj coalfields.

It will place this before a steering committee for consideration this month. Currently, it extracts only coal bed methane (CBM) from this block.

"This committee comprises representatives from the ministry, the office of the Directorate General of Hydrocarbons and the operator," said Vilas Tawde, chief executive officer at EOGEP.

In March 2016, the central government approved a Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy (HELP). The aim was to enable a uniform licence for exploration and production of all forms of hydrocarbons for an