Centre to invest Rs 10,000 cr in LNG terminal project in Odisha

Reported by Santosh Jagdev
Bhubaneswar, May 10:

Union minister of state Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan today said the Centre will invest  Rs 10,000 crore in LNG (liquefied natural gas) terminal project in Odisha.

Inaugurating the office of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) office in the state capital here, he said efforts are on by the ONGC in collaboration with his ministry and some private stakeholders to make Odisha a petro-hydrocarbon rich state by 2022 for which Rs 1 lakh crore has been earmarked for investment to produce petroleum and hydrocarbon.

Pradhan said Odisha’s rich mineral reserves constitute 28 percent of iron ore, 24 percent of coal, 59 percent of bauxite, 98 percent of chromite.

“Now our mission is to add hydrocarbon reserve economically in the state. ONGC is making a new beginning in the field of exploration of energy resources in the new frontiers of a resurgent Odisha,” he pointed out.

As per preliminary estimates, Odisha has significant hydrocarbon resources, especially gas reserves in the offshore area. ONGC is soon going to do 2D and 3D seismic survey which will establish the potential of resources in mainland Odisha, he said.

The Union minister urged the students pursuing Geology and Geophysics in the state universities to come forward and involve themselves in data sourcing and gathering scientific methods towards exploration and production of oil and gas in the state.

“I believe that there is presence of hydrocarbons in our state. I feel proud to get this post in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government. It is my duty to be committed to the exploration and production of oil and natural gas in the state to fuel the nation,” he added.

Referring to the revival of Talcher Fertilizer plant, Pradhan said showing interest to run the plant which can convert coal to gas, his ministry is working with Coal India Limited (CIL) and Gas Authority of India Ltd (GAIL), Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilizers (RCF) and Fertilizer Corporation of India Ltd (FCIL) to set up an integrated coal gasification-cum-fertilizer and ammonium nitrate complex at Talcher soon.

ONGC has been engaged in exploration in Mahanadi offshore area- both shallow and deep water area along the Odisha coast since the inception of New Exploration Licensing Policy (NELP) regime in 1999.

So far, ONGC has drilled 26 wells in the deep-water and 3 wells in the shallow water in the Mahanadi offshore area. The office set-up at Bhubaneswar had been established to further boost the exploration activities in the Mahanadi offshore area, said DK Saraf, CMD of ONGC.

Among others, DD Mishra, ONGC director (HR), AV Sathe, Odisha Head and senior officials of ONGC were present.