ONGC to look into oil deposits off Sunderbans

The Oil and Natural Gas Corporation is expected to assess the commercial viability of the Bengal offshore deposit within the next two to three weeks.

"The test process, which is about to start, is expected to be completed by the next two to three weeks, if all goes well. This data will give a major lead on the commercial viability of the well," GM-CBM-BPM Basin Manager A K Biswas said today. He was interacting with media persons at the ONGC stall at the Industrial Trade Fair here.

Though three more wells would be drilled in the Bay of Bengal "" at a location 40 km off the sandheads of the Sunderbans "" the result of the first well was very important for ONGC, company sources said.

ONGC, which was supposed to drill 5,000 metres, could drill only up to 4,400 metres due to technical reasons and would analyse the data available, sources said.

The company, however, had not yet given up hope on the Bengal onshore near Digha, Biswas said. ONGC is carrying out data analysis for the Bengal onshore project, which will take another three to six months, after which, it will decide to go for another drilling or not.

Earlier, ONGC Managing Director Subir Raha had said the final outcome of exploration for oil and gas deposits in the Sundarbans offshore would be known shortly.

"The progress of drilling is satisfactory and the final outcome from the first drilling site will be known in the next few weeks," Raha, who paid a visit to the drilling site last month, said.

ONGC was scheduled to drill four wells in Bengal offshore at an investment of Rs 500 crore.