Flagship explorer ONGC and the country’s largest oil refiner and fuel retailer IndianOil have joined hands to set up a LNG (liquefied natural gas) plant to turn natural gas from the Hatta field in Madhya Pradesh into super-chilled liquid for transportation by specialised trucks, a first-of-its kind venture in that give commercial credibility to the Vindhyan basin discovered by the former.
ONGC had in March 2022 decided to commercialise the Hatta-3 gas discovery in the Son Valley area of Madhya Pradesh after the exploratory well produced 62,044 cubic meters of gas per day, opening up India’s ninth producing basin and eighth by the company.
Active exploration in the Vindhyan Basin began with the acquisition of seismic data in the late 1980s. The first well 'Jabera1', was drilled in the basin in 1991. It produced gas of around 2,000 cubic meters per day. This came after ONGC persevered in spite of 14 wells out of 26, drilled in the Son and Chambal valleys yielded sub-optimal results.
"The establishment of the Hatta LNG plant will significantly enhance the Vindhyan basin's status, upgrading it from a Category II to a Category I basin," ONGC said on Friday, adding the two companies inked the heads of agreement on June 17.
India's sedimentary basins, covering a total area of 3.4 million square kilometres, are divided into three categories -- Category-I - which has hydrocarbon reserves and already producing; Category-II that have contingent resources pending commercial production, and Category-III with prospective resources awaiting discovery.
"The plant will utilise cutting-edge technology to produce LNG, a cleaner alternative to traditional fossil fuels, significantly reducing carbon emissions and aligning with India's climate change mitigation goals," ONGC said.
The discovery at Hatta, ONGC said, represents the culmination of five decades of sustained exploration efforts. "ONGC has already submitted its field development plan to the Directorate General of Hydrocarbons (the upstream regulator) to monetise its assets in the Hatta area," the company said.
"As the nation advances on its path to energy self-sufficiency, the Hatta LNG plant will stand as a symbol of innovation, collaboration, and unwavering commitment to a greener tomorrow."
Disclaimer: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. Reposting this article is solely for the purpose of information dissemination and does not constitute any investment advice. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately. We will make corrections or deletions as necessary. Thank you.
