By IANS,
Shimla: Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC) had re-started exploration for oil and gas in Himachal Pradesh’s Kangra district in 2009 but later abandoned it in February 2010, a minister said here Thursday.
“The drilling work was re-started in December 2009 in Jwalamukhi area but because only water with very mild gas was found, the drilling was abandoned by ONGC,” Industries Minister Kishan Kapoor said in a written statement in the assembly.
He said ONGC had deployed Mumbai-based private firm, Diwanchand Ramsaran Industries Private Ltd. for exploration work.
Earlier, in the 1980s and 1990s too ONGC had carried out drilling in the area as geographical surveys had indicated huge presence of oil and natural gas in the area.
In 1993, the exploration was abandoned because ONGC did not have proper drilling equipment to reach a depth of 10,000 metres.
At present, ONGC is carrying out oil exploration in the hills of Kasauli in Solan district.