Green panel approves Reliance’s exploratory drilling project

The Dollar Business Bureau

The green panel of the center has given approval for RIL to carry eight additional well drillings. The main reason is to ascertain the commercial viability and reservoir capacity of hydrocarbons in the CY-III-D5 block in the Bay of Bengal off the Tamil Nadu coast.

Under the New Exploration Licensing Policy-III, Reliance Industries was given the exploratory rights for hydrocarbons in the offshore block CY-III-D5. Reliance has already been given the approval to drill 11 exploratory wells in this block. Of the 11, nine have already been drilled with hydrocarbons discovered in three.

Reliance is planning to drill additional eight exploratory wells with a view to establishing reservoir capacity in the block, as seismic data and the drilling campaign shows the presence of hydrocarbons in the block.

A senior government official said that after detailed deliberations and verification, the government has given a go-ahead on the project. The official further added that the committee has recommended the ministry to give a final clearance after specific and general conditions are met.

The key conditions include that the company should ensure that during testing the gas produced should be flared with proper flaring booms. The design of the flaring system should be according to the good oil field practices and oil industry safety directorate guidelines.

During the drilling period, the company should make sure that the flora and fauna are unaffected. It should also take proper measures to conserve the marine animals in the region. The hazardous waste materials from the rig should be properly treated, where they should be transported to onshore and then disposed off in accordance to the norms laid down by the environmental board.

Reliance became a part of exploration and production business by becoming a 30 per cent partner with British gas and RIL in Panna- Mukta and South and MIs Tapti blocks.

The domestic portfolio includes five conventional oil and gas blocks in Godavari, Krishna, Cauvery Palar, Mahanadi, Gujarat, Saurashtra and Cambay Basin and two Coal Bed Methane (CBM) blocks in Sohagpur West and East in Madhya Pradesh. The company also has its blocks overseas.