Public sector oil major ONGC has approved Rs.3,104 crore additional investment for drilling of wells and creating surface facilities to produce 5.1 MMSCMD (million metric standard cubic metres per day) gas from gas fields in Tripura.

As a result of geological mapping and exploratory efforts, so far 11 gas fields have been discovered by ONGC in Tripura. Currently, the ONGC Tripura is carrying out its drilling activities with three owned rigs under operation and well servicing operations through 2 work-over rigs. An additional four to five hired rigs are anticipated to be under operation this year, which will intensify the exploration activities.

It noted that the Tripura gas fields lie in logistically, environmentally challenged area, where a good number of drill site, facility and pipeline locations are likely to be in forest lands, which needs special attention for forest clearance and timely civil and site construction.

The ONGC said that its board had in 2008 approved investment of Rs.1,946 crore in the northeast Indian state to taking the total approved investment in Tripura to Rs.5,050 crore.

The petroleum and natural gas ministry had recently released its Hydrocarbon Vision 2030 for Northeast India, which promised to develop the northeast region of the country as a dominant hydrocarbon hub.