Guwahati: The Stakeholders Consultation on Hydrocarbon Vision 2030 for North East India on Saturday discussed plans for development of the oil sector in Assam.
The conference was organised here by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), in association with Oil and Natural Gas Commission (ONGC), Oil India Limited (OIL), Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL), Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) and Megha Engineering. The participants spoke of expansion of refineries, increase in oil production, Barauni-Guwahati gas pipeline and NE pipeline grid.
CII North East Council chairman and NRL managing director S.K. Barua, chairman of NE Core Committee on Energy, Oil and Gas and Guwahati Refinery executive director Jogen Barpujari, OIL resident chief executive B.P. Sarma, ONGC Assam Asset manager S.D. Maske, the Assam government's transformation & development and Act East policy affairs secretary Moloy Bora and CII NE Council co- chairman Abhijit Barooah addressed the meet.
Barua spoke about the joint venture company formed by ONGC, OIL, IOCL, GAIL and NRL with a stake of 20 percent each, which will be launched next month. "Work on the Baruani-Guwahati pipeline, expected to be completed in two to three years, has started. The capitals of all northeastern states, including Sikkim, will be connected by a gas grid to supply piped natural gas to households," he said. The Barauni-Guwahati pipe line is being laid at a cost of Rs 3,000 crore while the NE gas grid will cost Rs 6,000 crore.
Sarma said the global demand for gas is increasing at a rate of 1.4 per cent whereas in India it is growing at 4.2 per cent per annum. He highlighted OIL projects under Hydrocarbon Vision 2030.
Maske, outlining ONGC plans, said, "Eighty per cent oil production in Assam come from fields more than 40 years old. New technologies are being employed to double the production under Vision 2030. ONGC is investing Rs 13,000 crore in Assam for five years."
NRL chief general manager, technical, Nikunja Borthakur spoke about the company's Rs 22,000 crore expansion plans and making Assam the wax hub of India. "A bio-refinery is being planned to produce ethanol from bamboo. NRL is planning to increase production from three million tonnes to nine million tonnes," he said.
