ONGC has launched a massive exploration drive for gas extraction in Tripura to meet the requirement of 726-MW gas-based thermal power project at Palatana in South Tripura, which is scheduled to start power generation by December 2012, official sources said today.

Recently, the company director, Mr U.N. Bose, had reviewed the progress of activities and visited the Palatana project site.

The company has set a target to produce six million standard cubic feet per day (mmscfd) of gas by 2012 to meet the requirements of the project and has also decided to drill two more gas wells within the stipulated time (2012).

Last year, ONGC had discovered two major gas wells.

ONGC-Tripura Power Corporation (OTPC) is trying to install heavy equipment for the 726-MW mega thermal power plant at Palatana despite heavy rains and communication bottlenecks, the sources said.

Two makeshift bridges, commonly known as bypass, which were built on the rivers Hawra in Agartala and Gomati in South Tripura district, were washed away due to heavy rains last week, creating bottlenecks for the transportation of turbines and heavy equipment to the project site.

Due to the collapse of the bridges, transportation of 280 tonne turbines has become difficult but ONGC is trying to rebuild the bridges before the monsoon sets in, in order to start generation by the end of December 2012, they said.

The initially estimated project cost of nearly Rs 8,000 crore has already gone up to Rs 9,000 crore because of the delay, they added.

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