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Flash Back January 1997
Tripura Floating on Gas
As Tripura, the smallest state in the region jutting out of the map of the Northeastern region is celebrating the silver jubilee of its statehood, the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation is also celebrating its silver jubilee of starting exploratory drilling which began in 1947 in the state forming part of the frontal folded belt on the western flanks of the Assam – Arakan basin, considered to be rich in hydrocarbons. This region also includes parts of Greater Sylhet and even Comilla districts of Bangladesh.
So far, 81 wells including the Rangte 1 well in Mizoram have been drilled in seven of the fifteen prospects identified. A total of 41 wells have proved to be gas bearing, 36 dry and four wells are to be tested for their status. Drilling of these wells has established gas reserves of over 30 billion cubic metres (BCM) on April 1st 1996 as against the recoverable reserve as on the same date which is of the order of over sixteen and a half BCM.
Exploratrion activities have proved Baramurah, Rekhia, Agartala Dome and Gojalia as the gas bearing fields. The established hydrocarbons are entirely non – associated gases. Mr. Kharag Singh, the outgoing Group General Manager of the Tripura Project of ONGC, told this columnist that the advantage of the gas was that over 98% of this gas would be utilized as it is free gas. He said that gas production in Assam is in the form of associated gas along with oil which could have flared otherwise. Mr. Singh observed that the return on heavy investment in exploration at Tripura is by only gas sales.