BHEL receives orders worth Rs 900 crore from ONGC

HYDERABAD: Bharat Heavy Electrical Limited (BHEL) has received orders worth Rs 900 crore from Oil and Natural Gas Commission (ONGC) to supply six on-shore oil rigs.

The oil major has completed negotiations and is set to issue written orders by this month end, BHEL sources told.

Four rigs will be for Sibsagar in the eastern region, one rig each for Krishna-Godavari Basin and Ankaleswar, they said adding that the first rig will be delivered to ONGC in 18 months from the date of order.

BHEL manufactures oil field equipment in collaboration with USA companies like US Steel Engineers and Consultants (National Oil Well), Skytop Brewster, Branham Industries and IRI International, USA.

BHEL now has the capability to manufacture conventional deep drilling rigs up to a depth of 9000 meters, mobile rigs to a depth of 3000 meters and well servicing rigs to a well depth of 6,100 meters, a senior official said.

"We have supplied 84 rigs to ONGC and OIL so far. They were deployed at various locations in the country. We are now taking up refurbishing work of the old rigs," he said adding the fresh order for rigs will be of different capacities.

Though the BHEL is in to making onshore rigs, it may again manufacture deep sea oil rigs as the future appears to be promising with huge oil and gas reserves at KG Basin, the official said.