EOGEPL signs MoU with IIT(ISM) Dhanbad for CBM technological innovations

NEW DELHI: Coal Bed Methane (CBM) gas producer, Essar Oil and Gas Exploration and Production Ltd (EOGEPL), on Wednesday said it has signed an MoU with IIT (Indian School of Mines), Dhanbad, to jointly work on research and development in CBM gas exploration.

The location of IIT(ISM) at the heart of Damodar Valley Coalfields in Dhanbad which is approximately 100 km from EOGEPL's Raniganj CBM block offers an inherent strategic advantage to the partnership, a company official said. "We look forward to having a great academic and practical discourse with the top institution and path-breaking research in the field of CBM gas," said EOGEPL CEO Santosh Chandra.

As part of the MoU, EOGEPL would propose an initial list of research topics and provide data for the same to the industry experts and researchers of the premier institute. It will also allow access to its CBM wells in Raniganj field to carry out investigation, research experiments and jointly pursue collaborative research as well as training programmes with the prestigious mining school, the company said.

EOGEPLs Raniganj East CBM Block in West Bengal is a flagship asset with a significant volume of CBM gas resources. Presently the block is also connected with the prestigious Pradhan Mantri Urja Ganga pipeline of GAIL as part of the National Gas grid for sustained gas supply. The company has already invested over Rs 4,000 crore in the Raniganj East CBM block towards drilling wells, setting up supply infrastructure and laying customer pipelines to Durgapur and nearby industrial areas. Raniganj has 1.1 trillion cubic feet (TCF) of certified CBM reserves.