Oil and Natural Gas Corporation has announced that two exploration discoveries have been notified to Directorate General of Hydrocarbons. Both the discoveries are in nominated PEL blocks. The company also announced that the first shale gas well RNSG-1 in Ichapur village near Durgapur in Burdwan district of West Bengal, India has been spud.

The Vygreswaram Southwest-1 well in Krishna Godavari onshore basin was drilled down to depth of 4,600m to explore syn-rift cretaceous sequence. The well proved 30m gas column on testing and produced gas at the rate of 75,000m3/d and condensate 3.0m3/d.

The Limbodra East-1 well in Cambay basin was drilled in the east of Limbodra field down to depth of 680m with the objective to explore Limbodra and Kalol pays. The well encountered 11m of gross pay of late Eocene age of Tarapur formation and flowed oil on testing. It has opened up new play along the eastern margin.

The shale gas well RNSG-1 in Ichapur village near Durgapur in Burdwan district of West Bengal is targeted to a depth of 2,000m and will be assessing the shale gas potential of about 700m thick shale of Permian age which is about 250 to 300 million years old. As its research and development efforts, ONGC plans to drill three more wells in Damodar Valley by end of XI Plan.