UK firm hits oil in Rajasthan again

The find is smaller than N-B-1, now named Mangala, which is estimated to hold 450-1,100 million barrels of in place oil reserves and recoverable reserves of 50-200 million barrels. The Mangala find can produce an estimated 2.5 million tonnes of crude oil annually from 2007. India’s total crude oil production is about 32 million tonnes.

Cairn Energy announced a cumulative flow rate of 6,000 barrels of oil per day was achieved across three selected zones during an open hole drill stem test programme in the N-B-1 exploration well. The tested oil has a specific gravity of approximately 24 to 29 degrees API and reservoir permeabilities are estimated to be between 500 millidarcies and 3 darcies. The first appraisal well and additional seismic are planned to commence later this month.

Petroleum Minister Ram Naik said this was the seventh discovery in the same block and, together with the Mangala discovery, it was the biggest discovery since oil was found in Mumbai offshore in 1974.