Cairn India to start second-phase survey in Bihar

Cairn Energy Search India (CESIL) is all set to begin this week its second phase of survey in Bihar's Gangetic basin for oil and natural gas.

'Cairn India will start a seismic survey within a week,' a CESIL official said here Tuesday.
CESIL completed an aero magnetic survey earlier this month. The exploration work was formally started in January with the launch of the aero magnetic survey.

According to CESIL officials, the seismic survey will be conducted in Samastipur, Darbhanga and Madhubani districts of the Ganges basin.

'At least 500-line km of data will be acquired during the survey,' the officials said. 'A small team of experts will place marker pegs on the ground and drill shallow holes along each survey line with satellite navigation equipment.'

The survey by the Edinburgh-based exploration firm and its sister concern, Cairn Energy Search India Ltd, in the basin comprising 13 districts spread over 15,500 sq km is to collect information about structures below the surface.

A specially designed, high-tech airplane was hired from Canada Sunday to conduct the survey, geological department sources said.

According to independent estimates, reserves in the Ganges basin, known locally as the Purina basin, could be as high as 465 million tonnes of crude and natural gas.

Experts said the reserves could be tapped after drilling up to 4,400 metres. The government will get 10 percent royalty for every tonne extracted.