The Hindu Business Line : GAIL consortium may have hit 2nd dry well in Bengal basin

Kolkata, Aug. 1 The consortium of Russian energy firm Gazprom and Indian gas major GAIL (India) Ltd seems to have hit the second consecutive dry well in the shallow water block (NEC-OSN-97/1) in the north-eastern coast better known as Bengal basin. Gazprom is the operator of the block with 50 per cent interest.

While comments were not available from Gazprom, sources said that the consortium had witnessed a high pressure condition and other factors generally indicative of presence of hydrocarbon during the drilling of the second exploratory well.

The presence of hydrocarbon in the desired quantities, however, could not be substantiated in due course and the consortium may now abandon the well.

According to sources, while the first well was drilled at a target depth of 2,400 metres below the sea bed, the consortium has targeted reaching at higher depths of over 4,000 metres in its second attempt.

While expenditure on the second well is yet to be ascertained, sources say that the consortium had spent roughly Rs 200 crore till completion of drilling the first well. The 10,000 square km block was awarded to the consortium in the first round of NELP.

When contacted a GAIL official said, “The consortium has not abandoned the second well and is yet to decide on the future course of action.”

Interestingly, the experience of the Gazprom-GAIL consortium in the NEC block is somewhat similar to ONGC’s drilling experience in Bengal offshore (WB-OSN-2000/1). Both the blocks share common boundary and equally harsh drilling conditions.

ONGC had also experienced similar high pressure condition during drilling of the only well in Bengal offshore. The well was later proved dry and was abandoned.

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