“The start of commercial production of crude oil in Baigachhi, after years of delays

Baigachhi oil field

ONGC officials said the oilfield, 48km from the heart of Kolkata, produces around 20 cubic metres of crude per day.

It is processed through separators and by an effluent treatment plant before being transported to the refinery for further processing,” a senior ONGC official said. “The crude emerges from the well mixed with water.

Oil and gas deposits were first discovered at Baigachhi in 2018. In Dec 2020, then Union petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradhan visited the site and flagged off the first consignment of crude oil produced on an experimental basis. In 2020, during experimental extraction, one of the wells reportedly yielded around 375 barrels of crude oil.

Production… is encouraging and expected to increase further in the coming days,” director (exploration) Sinha said. MLA Sumay Hira said the expansion of the oilfield could generate employment opportunities for residents of the area and give a boost to the regional economy. “Several land-related complications that had previously affected ONGC’s operations have been substantially resolved,” he said. Experts had also said the quality of the crude was comparable to that of the oil from the Mumbai High offshore field. “The start of commercial production of crude oil in Baigachhi, after years of delays and interruptions, has brought renewed optimism to Ashoknagar,” Sumit Gupta, a local trader said.

“There is more oil in the Ashoknagar area than we had anticipated.