ONGC to expand gas production in Tripura: Official

State-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) is aiming to achieve a target of four Million Metric Standard Cubic Meters Per Day (MMSCMD) gas production in Tripura. Chief General Manager (CGM) of ONGC, Roopesh Kumar Sharan said, adding that presently, the oil and gas major currently produces 3.5 MMSCMD in Tripura, which has huge natural gas reserves in different parts of the state. 

Talking to the media, he said ONGC has high potential wells but it is facing difficulties to connect it with gas collecting stations to increase production.

He said, even though a pipeline was laid, but even then as a small portion was passing through a defence area in West Tripura’s Kunjaban locality of ONGC and required permission for laying the pipeline from the Ministry of Defence.

“The permission to the Ministry of Defence was sought and it was routed through the state government,” Sharan said.

However, very recently approval has been received from the Ministry of Defence and accordingly laying of the pipeline would be done as early as possible, he said.

The official said that in a given scenario, the 4 MMSCMD gas production can be achieved in a month's time but since Kunjaban locality is densely populated and other hurdles may arise, hence completion of work of laying of pipelines may take upto six months.

The CGM also said that ONGC is imparting training to youths through the PM Internship Scheme and under this scheme 300 people would be given theoretical and orientation training in Tripura.

He said that gas supply to 726 MW generation capacity OTPC run Palatana gas based power plant in southern Tripura has been recently enhanced.

Tripura State Electricity Corporation Limited (TSECL) through the NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam (NVVN) since March 2016 has been supplying 70 to 80 MW of electricity daily to neighbouring Bangladesh from the Palatana gas based power plant of the ONGC Tripura Power Company (OTPC).

Two separate units of the OTPC (363.3 MW X 2) were inaugurated by former President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2013 and 2014 respectively.

ONGC owns a significant quantity of natural gas reserves in Tripura. Since 1972, and it has drilled over 200 wells in the northeastern state and a significant number of wells are yielding gas.