Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas and Steel Mr Dharmendra Pradhan visited the geophysical party camp at ONGC’s eighth producing Basin, the Bengal Basin, on 20 October 2020. Mr Pradhan took keen interest in the exploratory activities at the Basin and witnessed the seismic data collection being done for appraisal program of Asokenagar block.

Chief Geophysical Services Mr S K Sharma apprised the minister of the operations at the geophysical camp of ONGC’s Bengal Basin. Petroleum Minister was also accompanied by MP Jyotirmay Singh Mahato, ONGC CMD Shashi Shanker and other senior officials.

Petrleum Minister at the geophysical party camp of ONGC's Bengal Basin with
MP Jyotirmay Singh Mahato, ONGC CMD Shashi Shanker and other senior officials

ONGC took a major step by commencing oil production from the well Asokenagar-1, Bengal Basin in 24 Paragana district. The well Asoknagar-1 was completed as an oil producer under Early-Monetization Plan issued by Government of India.

The well Asokenagar-1 has heralded the end of painstaking search for hydrocarbons in the region by ONGC by sending its first hydrocarbon consignment produced during well testing to IOCL’s Haldia Oil Refinery done earlier on 5 November 2020.

Re-energized by this discovery and eager to script more success stories in the newly awarded OALP acreages in the Bengal Basin, ONGC has already set aside a sling of fresh geo-scientific activities. These comprise appraisal program of Asokenagar discovery for an area of about 739 sq. km. including 3D seismic, Low Frequency Passive Seismic (LFPS) Survey and drilling of two wells, besides acquiring roughly 1300 LKM of 2D, 2900 SKM of 3D and drilling of 13 wells in the next three years in the newly awarded acreages.