After numerous delays, state-owned upstream major Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) is finally set to start commercial crude oil production from its prolific deep-water block KG-DWN-98/2 from May and gas output from May of next year, the oil major’s director (offshore) Pankaj Kumar said at the India Energy Week here.
ONGC plans to start oil production from the Bay of Bengal block with volumes of 10,000 to 12,000 barrels per day (bpd), which will be ramped up to peak production level of 45,000 bpd in two to three months. This peak production estimate is lower than the earlier estimate of over 77,000 bpd. Kumar attributed the downward revision to geological challenges.
