First Shale Gas Well in India Spudded

State-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) kicked off shale gas exploration in India with spudding the country's first shale gas well.

The RNSG-1 will is located in Sarpi village,about 12 km from Durgapur, in the State of West Bengal.

The well, according to ONGC, is expected to touch the underground within 45 days. ONGC said the contract for technological and logistic support shale gas well has been awarded to Schlumberger.

Speaking at the site, ONGC’s director (exploration),  DK Pande said: “Shale gas has become an important source of natural gas in the United States over the past decade catering to 17 per cent of US fuel demand. The interest now has spread to potential gas shales in Canada, Europe, Asia and Australia. The work for hunt of shale gas in the country begins today with this well here.”

“The Geological Survey of India study reports suggested existence of shale gas in the Cambey Basin, Assam, Cauvery and Damodar basin. After several discussions, the Damodar basin was given priority and if this becomes successful, successive explorations in the respective basins would follow."

The well is targeted to a depth of 2000 meters and will be assessing the shale gas potential of about 700 meters thick shale of Permian age which is about 250 to 300 million years old, the company said in a statement.

ONGC plans to drill three more wells in Damodar Valley by end of XIth Five Year Plan in March 2012.

Cecilia Malagown, operation’s head of Schlumberger Solutions, said: “The work has shown a good progress.”

The results of this well are expected by end October.

Source: The Stateman