23 Delta basin ONGC wells de-listed

MoEF&CC found procedural lapses from the company’s part in conducting public hearings

CHENNAI: In a significant development, Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change has de-listed 23 onshore exploratory drilling wells of ONGC in Cauvery basin for failing to conduct the mandatory public hearing and also on charges of conflict of interest.

These are additional exploratory drilling wells in On-shore PEL Block L-II of Cauvery basin identified across Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam, Thanjavur and Pudukkottai districts. The environment ministry had issued Terms of Reference (ToR) to ONGC for drilling these wells in three instalments. The ToR was issued for 20 wells on November 26, 2013, for two wells in Thanjavur on January 31, 2014, and for another well in Thanjavur on December 1, 2014.

However, the ministry found serious procedural lapses in conducting public hearing in accordance of Environment Impact Assessment Notification, 2006.
In its letter to ONGC on August 16, 2016, a copy of which is available with Express, the ministry highlighted chinks in the application for environment clearance. It asked ONGC to submit proposal for appraisal after conducting public hearing. But the State-run oil explorer didn’t take corrective measures, which led to the de-listing of the projects.

The most glaring goof-up by ONGC was in the EC application, where it is mentioned that public hearing for one well in Thanjavur was conducted on July 10, 2014. However, the ToR for this well was issued only on December 1, 2014. Documents accessed by Express also reveal that there were charges of conflict of interest on J S Sharma, general manager (Health, Safety and Environment), ONGC. Sharma is heading the team that has been accredited as consultant by NABET, while he is also an applicant/project proponent in various cases of ONGC for environmental clearance, making it a clear case of conflict of interest.
Though this development doesn’t have a direct bearing on hydrocarbon project proposed in Neduvasal village in Pudukkottai, environmentalists said the project would remain a non-starter as the locals would oppose it during the public hearing.

Activist Sundar Rajan of ‘Poovulagin Nanbargal’ said this was a warning bell for GEM Laboratories, who bagged the contract for hydrocarbon project. Siva Rajasekharan of Cauvery Vivasayigal Sangam charged ONGC with being a ‘habitual offender’. “They take environment clearance for oil and gas, but indulge in shale gas exploration,” he claimed. As per ONGC submission before NGT, in Pudukkottai, it has dug 13 exploratory drilling wells, of which 10 were dry and abandoned, one at Naduvasal classified as oil well, and two wells at Vadatheru as gas wells.

Procedures to be completed
All Category ‘A’ projects require prior environment clearance from the part of Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change
Oil and gas exploration involves two types of drilling – exploratory and developmental. Both require prior environment clearance

A four-stage procedure has to be completed to obtain the clearance. Stage 1 and 2 are screening and scoping, wherein EAC (expert appraisal committee) determines detailed and comprehensive ToR. Stage 3 is public consultation – both public hearing and obtaining written responses. Last stage is project appraisal wherein the EAC conducts detailed scrutiny of the final EIA (environment impact assessment) report and outcome of public consultations submitted to regulatory authority for grant of environment clearance

Current scenario

In Tamil Nadu, hydrocarbon exploration is going on at three operational Exploration Blocks (approx. 1,461 sqkm) under Production Sharing Contract System
31 mining leases (approximately 3,500 sqkms) granted from where 600 tonnes of oil and 30 lakhs cu m of natural gas are produced daily
Till date, more than 700 wells have been drilled for extraction of oil and gas in TN
In Tamil Nadu, hydrocarbon exploration going on at three operational Exploration Blocks (approx. 1,461 sqkm) under Production Sharing Contract System
31 mining leases (approximately 3,500 sqkms) granted from where 600 tonnes of oil and 30 lakhs cu m of natural gas are produced daily

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