Tiruchy: The Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) is neither carrying out nor having any plans for exploration of shale gas, shale oil or coal bed methane (CBM) in Cauvery Basin, as declared by the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas to National Green Tribunal – Southern Zone.
Accordingly, the case was closed, said Kulbir Singh, executive director -asset manager, Cauvery Asset, and Pawan Kumar, group general manager -basin manager, Cauvery Basin.
Addressing a press conference here on Thursday, they pointed out that it has been noticed that a section of the media was ‘erroneously relating’ ONGC to ‘Neduvasal exploration project’.
They clarified that under the Discovered Small Field (DSF) bid round 2016, Government of India had awarded 31 contract areas to various companies. To a question, they said that the ONGC is not an ‘awardee’ under DSF 2016 in the State.
He said in the last 50 years, ONGC was serving the people for the nation’s prosperity. As far as ‘Cauvery Asset’ is concerned, ONGC is carrying out exploration and production related activities to produce oil and natural gas from the deeper sedimentary basins ranging from 6,000 feet to 15,000 feet.
Stating that the ONGC follows international practices in maintaining Health, Safety and Environment standards complying with all laid down statutory guidelines, they said ONGC never engaged in any sort of programs which can cause damage to land, water resources, and the environment.
So far they have established 31 oil and natural gas fields, in Tamil Nadu and currently these have been producing 840 tonnes of oil and 28 lakh cubic metres of natural gas per day, and of which 17 lakh standard cubic meters per day (SCMD) of Natural Gas is being given to the State Electricity Board, producing 750 MW power in Ramanathapuram alone. This apart, during the five financial years in the past, ONGC has paid the Tamil Nadu sarkar nearly Rs 1,816.43 crore towards royalty and vat/sales tax.
Replying to a specific question, they said ONGC’s activities have been endorsed as hygienic, safe and environment-friendly, as it functions according to the guidelines laid down by the Ministry of Environment and Forest, Directorate General of Mines and Safety and of the Pollution Control Boards of the state and the Centre. The officials categorically denied that their drilling activities spoiled agriculture operations and groundwater potential.
The ONGC officials said they have drilled 13 bore-wells on an experimental basis to prospect for any oil and natural gas deposits in Neduvasal area from 1993 to 2008-09; of them 10 bore-wells have been already abandoned due to poor yield, whereas other three wells at Nallandarkollai, Kottaikadu, and Pullanvidhuthi was showing resources of oil and natural gas.
