Delays in approval hold up several RIL, ONGC blocks
These blocks were awarded to RIL and ONGC in the last five rounds of the National Exploration and Licensing Policy (NELP) bidding over the past five years.
By Piyush Pandey, TNN |
MUMBAI: OVER half-a-dozen blocks awarded to Reliance Industries (RIL) and ONGC, in which the operators failed to complete the minimum work programme (MWP) are idle due to delays in getting government approvals like environmental clearances and approvals pertaining to the Coast Regulation Zone Act. These blocks were awarded to RIL and ONGC in the last five rounds of the National Exploration and Licensing Policy (NELP) bidding over the past five years.
The block CY-OSN-200/2 was awarded to ONGC during the second round of NELP and the bidding and production sharing contract (PSC) was signed with the operator on July 17, ’01. Recently, ONGC requested the upstream regulator, Directorate General of Hydrocarbons (DGH) to extend the time limit for the completion of the MWP. The reason cited by ONGC for non-completion of MWP was a delay in getting environment clearances. RIL too failed to complete the MWP in five blocks due to a similar delay in environmental clearances.
A senior DGH official said, “We have received requests from ONGC and Reliance for extension of time for some blocks. The DGH has requested the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) to expedite clearances. We have also requested the MoEF to comment on whether the contractor has taken care to ensure that information needed by MoEF has been supplied in time.”
RIL has been unable to complete the MWP in block GK-OS/5 since the operator has not received the clearance pertaining to the Coast Regulation Zone Act. This block was awarded to Reliance during the first round of NELP bidding. It has also sought extensions for blocks GK-OSJ/3, MN-DWN-98/2, SR-OSN-97/1, and SR-OSN-94/1 to complete the MWP.
For block SR-OSN-97/1, Reliance got MoEF clearance on August 9, ’04 on a specific condition that before undertaking exploration activity, the operator will obtain permission from the wildlife division of the MoEF, since the block is located at a distance of 10 km from the Okha Marina National Park. The clearance is still awaited. This block was also awarded to Reliance during the first round of NELP bidding.
The block CY-OSN-200/2 was awarded to ONGC during the second round of NELP and the bidding and production sharing contract (PSC) was signed with the operator on July 17, ’01. Recently, ONGC requested the upstream regulator, Directorate General of Hydrocarbons (DGH) to extend the time limit for the completion of the MWP. The reason cited by ONGC for non-completion of MWP was a delay in getting environment clearances. RIL too failed to complete the MWP in five blocks due to a similar delay in environmental clearances.
A senior DGH official said, “We have received requests from ONGC and Reliance for extension of time for some blocks. The DGH has requested the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) to expedite clearances. We have also requested the MoEF to comment on whether the contractor has taken care to ensure that information needed by MoEF has been supplied in time.”
RIL has been unable to complete the MWP in block GK-OS/5 since the operator has not received the clearance pertaining to the Coast Regulation Zone Act. This block was awarded to Reliance during the first round of NELP bidding. It has also sought extensions for blocks GK-OSJ/3, MN-DWN-98/2, SR-OSN-97/1, and SR-OSN-94/1 to complete the MWP.
For block SR-OSN-97/1, Reliance got MoEF clearance on August 9, ’04 on a specific condition that before undertaking exploration activity, the operator will obtain permission from the wildlife division of the MoEF, since the block is located at a distance of 10 km from the Okha Marina National Park. The clearance is still awaited. This block was also awarded to Reliance during the first round of NELP bidding.
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