High quality gas found at Maicherra in Tripura

AGARTALA, July 15 ? The Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd has found high quality gas reserves at Maicherra in Belonia subdivision. This will be first well in South Tripura district from where natural gas can be explored. The area comes under Uttarkholabaria gram panchayat. An ONGCL official here said the Maicherra gas is of high quality and according to preliminary estimate about 2-lakh cubic metre of gas can be explored a day from here. The ONGCL begun drilling in February last after a survey indicated gas reserve in the area. After drilling of about 2700 metre the gas was found. Presently the ONGCL gas consumers are Tripura State Electricity Department, Tripura Natural Gas Corporation and NEEPCO. Total gas supply during the year 2000-2001 was 374 MMSCMD against a target of 327 MMSCMD?, said the official. The gas is mainly used for the generation of electricity by TSED and NEEPCO. Piped gas supply for domestic and industrial consumers is fed through TNGC. The much-awaited city gas project is in the expansion stage and a network grid shall be established in and around Agartala city by the year 2002 by TNGC, a joint-venture of state government and Assam government. It may be mentioned here that ONGCL started its exploratory activities in the state way back in 1962 with Geological mapping. The corporation (then commission) established its project in Tripura in 1970 which is now called as ?Agartala Asset?. The corporation started drilling in 1972 and gas was stuck at the very first well in Baramura in 1975. Presently its workers? strength is about 1,100. Since inception, more than 100 wells have been drilled till date of which 50 wells are gas bearing. According to ONGCL officials the success ratio stands at 1:2, which is one of the highest in the world where the average success ratio ranges around 1:7. The ONGCL has invested more than Rs 960 crore since inception in Tripura while the revenue earning in the year 2000-2001 was Rs 66.36 crore. The Agartala Asset is equipped with three deep drilling rigs and one work over rig. There are four gas handling installations-Konaban GGS, Rokhia GGS, Baramura GGS and Agartala Dome EPS with the total gas handling capacity of 1.6 MMSCMD. The present gas supply to consumers is 1.27, officials said.