E-Paper
Gail starts drilling in Bay of Bengal
Gail has started drilling activity in a highly prospective gas block in offshore Bay of Bengal along with its consortium partner Gazprom.
State-run Gail India Ltd said on Wednesday it has started drilling activity in a highly prospective gas block in offshore Bay of Bengal along with its consortium partner Russian gas giant Gazprom.
The company's drilling rig "Ekha" has reached the drill site for the first well in Block-26 and the drilling programme has been started, Gail informed the Bombay Stock Exchange.
"The block is considered to be highly prospective with an expectation of multi trillion cubic feet gas potential. Extensive study of 2D/3D siesmic data was carried out by the consortium and international experts prior to the mobilisation of rig," Gail said.
The block was awarded to Gail-Gazprom consortium in the NELP-I round.
The block NEC-OSN-97/1 is located 120 km from inland base at Haldia in West Bengal. The first well at a water depth of 45 meters is proposed to be drilled to a depth of 2,400 meters below the sea bed. The well is expected to be spud in another 4-5 days and it will take one month to complete the well.
Rig availability has been extremely tight with a spate in exploration and production activities as most offshore rigs are contracted out for months together, it added.
