A one-well drilling programme in the deepwater acreage is being intended after rig scarcity led to the postponement of the original drilling plan.
The petroleum ministry has awarded a second extension to the operator under Phase I of the work programme until March 16, 2009, company sources said.
RIL has been holding discussions with companies operating in and around the Mahanadi basin for sharing their rig equipment after closely assessing their work programmes. The worldwide rig scarcity has hurt RIL’s exploration plan in the last one year, forcing the company to postpone its drilling plans in many acreages it holds in the nation.
In a related development, interpretation of around 2,800 square kilometers of 3D seismic data, shot in the acreage by Veritas DGC of Singapore has refined the geological model of the deepwater block and helped RIL to recognize optimum sites for exploration drilling.
RIL will spud around two exploration wells under phase-II of the minimum work programme (MWP). Two more exploration wells will be drilled in phase-III, making the total number of exploratory wells in the deepwater block to four.
