Nov 4: Oil India Ltd (OIL) is planning a simultaneous seismic and drilling programme in its Krishna Godavari onland block KG-ONN-2004/1. Speaking exclusively to Indian Petro News on Wednesday (November 4, 2009) a top petroleum ministry official, privy to the development, revealed that the operator is mulling a 3D seismic and drilling programme in the onland block -- at the same time -- around April 2010. New locations are likely to be identified over the next two months based upon available 2D seismic and geoscientific data, sources added. OIL is keen to explore multiple prospects in both the shallower and the deeper zones of the NELP-VI block. The company shall drill the first two of its committed 12 exploratory wells in the block.
8OIL was unable to initiate E&P activities in the onland block till date despite getting a Petroleum Exploration License (PEL) for a 511 sq km portion of the block falling in Andhra Pradesh, because it had not received a PEL for another 38 sq km area of the block which fell in the neighbouring Union Territory of Pondicherry. As a result, the national oil company had to defer mobilization of field crews to carry out initial exploration activities in the block.
8The production sharing contract (PSC) for the KG block, also called Block 28, provides for work commitments to be met in two phases over an exploration period of seven years, with four years under phase I and three years in phase II. OIL bagged the mandatory Petroleum Exploration License (PEL) for KG-ONN-2004/1 following an amendment in the license application for the acreage. The PEL for the block was awarded to OIL after the E&P firm decided to split up its license application for the onland block in two parts. By Sadiq Shaban

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