Cairn makes 18th oil discovery in Rajasthan

 "Today, we can announce a further discovery in Rajasthan - the 18th on the block. The N-P exploratory well in Barmer has encountered 16 metres of oil bearing Fatehgarh sands," chairman Norman Murray said.

Cairn estimates that oil in the three main northern fields - Mangala, Bhagyam and Aishwariya - has risen to 800 million barrels. "We now believe that there is in excess of 3.5 billion barrels of oil in place within our acreage and the resource base continues to grow," he added.

The company has, till date, made 18 discoveries - Guda, Raageshwari Gas, Raageshwari Oil, Kameshwari Oil, Saraswati Oil, GS-V-1, N-R-4, Vandana, Vijaya, N-E-1, Aishwariya, Mangala, Bhagyam South-I, NC West oil and gas, N-I, Shakti and Bhagyam.

Murray said the company was presently focussing on bringing Mangala on stream at the earliest followed by Bhagyam and Aishwariya.