OIL mulling exploration in Nagaland

Despite stiff opposition from various quarters including some apex tribal bodies and the Working Committee of the NNPGs to the proposed oil exploration in areas along the Nagaland-Assam disputed boundary, there has been reports that the Oil India Limited (OIL) was planning to start exploration in Nagaland.
Nagaland is projected to have 600 million tonnes of oil and natural gas reserves.
According to The Economic Times report, Oil India Limited is planning to conduct a 3D seismic survey of 4,000 sq km of land in Upper Assam, while exploration in Nagaland is expected to commence when the climate is conducive.
The company has also explored 3000 sq. km areas in Nagaland. OIL has considerable potential in the Assam- Arakan fold belt and believes that both areas have the same potential, according to Dr Ranjit Rath, chairman and managing director.
OIL has done seismic data accusation of the areas in the Northern bank of Brahmaputra in Assam. OIL has a 3000 sq. km area in Nagaland.
Rath, who was in Guwahati on Monday while talking to media persons said, “We already started exploration in Mizoram. Further study is going on to further explore. In Tripura we have assets and exploration is done. In the Northern bank of Brahmaputra River Pathshala and Mangaldoi are covered under Open Acreage Licensing Policy (OALP) bidding. We have done seismic data acquisition.”
“We are carrying out exploration in Arunachal Pradesh, we have planned extensive drilling and production is going on. In Nagaland till the time there was a dispute between Assam and Nagaland that was getting sorted out. There is a lot of discussion going on. We have 3000 sq km of exploration acreage in Nagaland,” he added.
Rath said, “In Manipur we are taking up baseline assessment of the areas in Nagaland border and some areas will be picked up for explorations. In Tripura we have acreages. In the North bank we will take up drilling. Rigs with over 2000 horsepower will be used”.
Rath said, “Once there is a climate of sorted out issues we will immediately have started exploration. We strongly believe that both the Assam shelf where we have the main producing area, and the Assam- Arakan fold belt which is in the South East of Assam shelf covering Nagaland has enough potential.”
It may be mentioned that Assam and Nagaland chief ministers Himanta Biswa Sarma and Neiphiu Rio had agreed in principle to go ahead with oil exploration in areas along their disputed boundary for the economic benefit of both states. Sarma and Rio reached an understanding during a meeting on April 20 night, hours after Assam and Arunachal Pradesh governments signed an agreement to resolve their over five-decade-old border dispute.
Assam and Nagaland are exploring all options to bring an end to the decades-old border imbroglio in an amicable manner, an Assam government statement said.