ONGC to drill additional wells in Gujarat’s Cambay region

India-based Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) has announced plans to drill additional wells at Cambay region in Gujarat, India.

The company’s latest move follows the drilling of first shale gas exploratory well near Jambusar in India, successfully.

ONGC western onshore basin, basin manager GC Katiyar said the data from the well in Jambusar will provide the company with better leads for exploration going forward, allowing it to determine parameters in taking up commercial production.

"ONGC drilled the first well in Jambusar in the last week of October in 2013 to exploit the natural gas trapped within the shale formations located in Cambay basin, which is estimated to have a shale gas potential of 20 trillion cubic feet," Katiyar said.

ONGC chairman and managing director Sudhir Vasudeva said India has recoverable shale gas reserves of around 90 trillion cubic feet and can satisfy the country’s demand for energy for a period of 26 years.

The company has drilled the first well in Jambusar in October 2013 in a bid to exploit the natural gas trapped within the shale formations located in Cambay basin, which is estimated to have a shale gas potential of 20 trillion cubic feet.

By 2014-15, ONGC plans to spend Rs6,000m ($96.24m) to dig 30 shale gas exploratory wells across India.

The company will perform the explorations in alliance with ConocoPhilips, a US-based oil company.