GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

MINISTRY OF PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS

LOK SABHA

UNSTARREDQUESTION NO: 3110

ANSWERED ON: 30.08.2012

ALLOCATION OF BLOCKS TO ONGC 

(a) whether the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) had been awarded eleven oil blocks in deep waters of the Eastern sea under the sixth round of New Exploration and Licensing Policy (NELP); 

(b) if so, the details of such oil blocks which are in the Krishna Godavari (KG) basin along with the date when such blocks were awarded; 

(c) the present status of production from these oil blocks along with the time frame by which production from all such blocks is likely to commence; and 

(d) the estimated quantum of oil and gas reserves in each of these awarded blocks? 

ANSWER

(a) Yes Madam. Under the sixth bidding round of New Exploration Licensing Policy (NELP-VI), total 11 deep water blocks in Eastern Offshore area were awarded to ONGC as operator along with other Consortium Partners as non –operators. Out of the 11 blocks, 6 blocks are in Cauvery Basin and 5 blocks are in Krishna-Godavari Basin.  (b) The details of the 11  exploration blocks awarded in Krishna-Godavari  and Cauvery Basins are as under:    

Sl.  Block Name  Basin  Awarded Area Date of Signing of No.      (Sq. Km) Contract     

1 KG-DWN-2004/1    11,951  02.03.2007

2 KG-DWN-2004/2    11,851  02.03.2007

3 KG-DWN-2004/3  Krishna-  6,205  02.03.2007

4 KG-DWN-2004/5   Godavari 11,922  02.03.2007

5 KG-DWN-2004/6    10,907  02.03.2007 

6 CY-DWN-2004/1    10,302  02.03.2007

7 CY-DWN-2004/2    12,059  02.03.2007

8 CY-DWN-2004/3  Cauvery  12,017  02.03.2007

9 CY-DWN-2004/4    12,025  02.03.2007

10 CY-PR-DWN-2004/1   13,451  02.03.2007

(c ) All the 11 blocks (5 in  KG Basin and 6 in Cauvery Basin) are currently under  exploration stage and no oil/gas discoveries have been made so far in these blocks.  Hence, currently there is no oil/gas production from these blocks. The timeframe for  commencement of oil/gas production in these blocks  cannot be specified  at this stage  as the same will depend on exploration successes resulting in commercial oil/gas  discoveries and subsequent approval of the Field Development Plans (FDPs) by the  Management Committees (MCs).      

(d). So far, no oil/gas reserves have been estimated in the awarded blocks  as no  oil/gas  discoveries have been made in these blocks till date.