Oil and Natural Gas Corp. Ltd. (ONGC) confirmed presence of hydrocarbons in Proterozoic basin (Vindhya basin), Son valley sector of Madhya Pradesh, India.
The Hatta#3 exploratory well was drilled to establish commercial potential with detailed testing to acquire reservoir-specific data. The well tested over 62,044 cu m/d gas.
After development, Vindhya would be the ninth producing basin in India and the eighth by ONGC. Bengal basin, the eighth discovered Indian basin, was dedicated in December 2020.
ONGC has acquired five blocks under Open Acreage Licensing Program rounds on the same play trend. The company is now contemplating gas monetization options including direct marketing to industries in the vicinity, cluster-based gas production through cascade systems, CNG bottling at well-head (as the gas is of high calorific value), and transportation through available infrastructure.