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ONGC's Tripura Asset Manager Mr. Biplab Guha has come a long
way in his illustrious career in India's 'Navaratna' corporation
,contributing to its growth and development and gaining in
invaluable experience. Having joined the Corporation-then only a
Commission-in 1976 Mr Guha dedicated the best part of his life
in enriching the Corporation through exploration , drilling and
production-related activities during his posting in Mumbai
off-shore project , Assam and Rajamundry. Mr Guha was conferred
the prestigious 'Manager of the
year ' award in 1995 by ONGC
management in recognition of his contribution to innovative
Polymer-based drilling in Assam project.
Mr Guha was also the
mastermind behind ONGC's C2-C3 project at Dahej and the key man
behind conceptualisation of the Corporation's 'Gas to Wire'
project in Tripura. Currently Asset Manager in Tripura project,
Mr Guha has been working tirelessly to contribute to this state
through ONGC's exploration, drilling and production-based
operations.
In this exclusive interview with tripurainfo.com
, Mr Biplab Guha shared his inmost thoughts and ideas on the
Corporation's aims and objects in Tripura .
Question : It has been nearly one year since you took over as
Executive Director and Asset Manager, ONGC Tripura asset. What
is your impression of the state?
Ans : Tripura is a resource-rich state with abundance of
natural beauty. It is also endowed with vibrant cultural and
ethnic heritage.For ONGC personnel like me, Tripura has always
been an important workplace. I consider my taking over charge as
Head of ONGC operation here last May, as a privilege and a proud
responsibility. My experience of work here and my interaction
with intelligentsia and opinion builders have further bolstered
my confidence that ONGC would continue to accelerate its
activities and contribute more effectively to the welfare of the
State in future with active support of all stake holders.
Question : What is ONGC's budget this year and how much
increase does it show in real terms over last year's
allocations? Are you satisfied with this?
Ans : We spend about 250 Crore every year here for normal
operations. And our capital investments are going to increase
several fold here due to more intensive exploration, drilling
and surface facilities creation and expansion plans. Operations
in Tripura are important for ONGC management and, depending on
what plans we have currently in hand and firming up of gas
offtake arrangements with future consumers in view, investment
is really never a constraint.
Question : How do you look at the proposed 750 MW Palatana
Power project in south Tripura district? How much is the
progress from your end?
Ans : Palatana project is very much in pipeline and, in
fact, we have been making substantial investments here, taking
that into account. You must understand that establishing such
mega power project in a logistically difficult state like
Tripura requires mammoth amount of resource mobilization. I must
tell you that, so far as fulfilment of fuel requirement for this
project from our gas fields is concerned, we are already making
good progress and are upgrading our surface facilities. Setting
up of pipeline networks and new GCSs would be the next step. Our
Corporate office at Delhi, along with our partners and
consultants, is taking care of the Palatana Plant and we are
confident everything would conclude as planned.
Question : What are the other new projects or schemes that
the ONGC here is going to undertake or implement in the current
financial year?
Ans : As I said earlier, we are already committed to major
expansion of our activities here in future. This year you will
see that our gas handling capabilities would go up at least
three folds with Baramura and Agartala Dome GCS completing
expansion plans. We are also deploying two additional rigs
around the end ‘08 to undertake increased exploration activities
for gas supply to new consumers. ONGC has ambitious plans for
future growth in the State, given the potential of the basin and
pro-active facilitation by State Govt.
Question : It is known that ONGC here confronts a problem of
glut in availability of natural gas in Tripura .Why is it not
being properly utilized for industrialization in the state? How
do you propose to ensure optimum utilization of natural gas
available in plenty?
Ans : Limited market for our gas had been a problem earlier.
Market creation activity for enhanced utilisation of gas is bit
complex and time-consuming issue though we have been always
encouraging further development of gas market here. We are
indeed thankful for the pro-active support of the State Govt.
and other interested parties as enablers. Don’t you think ONGC
getting into joint ventures like Palatana project is an
excellent example in this direction? I hope more industries like
gas-based methanol project would be coming up soon ensuring
optimum utilisation of our rich gas-stock.
Question : During the past three decades of ONGC's operations
here people have often heard of ONGC striking oil, which has so
far remained elusive. What is the real prospect of finding oil
in Tripura and why does not ONGC go for deep drilling?
Ans : This question is to be addressed more rudimentarily.
You see, we don’t explore for oil or gas but for hydrocarbons.
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Mr. Biplab
Guha recently received "Mine Safety Award" for Tripura
Asset from The President of India Mrs. Pratibha Patil. |
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Gas and oil both are equally commercially important for us and
for everyone. Geological basins take millions of years to form
oil or gas. It would be fundamentally erroneous to predict that
going deep would produce oil. We get oil in so called shallow
wells as well. Whether we find oil or gas depends on complex
geology of a particular area and type and maturity of source
rock organics as also age of structures. We have drilled wells
much beyond 4000 metres too here. At the same time I must tell
you gas is not inferior hydrocarbon commercially as well as
environmentally. It’s future fuel of preference. Let’s be
content with the resources Mother Earth provides so plentifully
in Tripura.
Question : The ONGC in Tripura confronts, as do all other
public and private organizations, the problem of insecurity
because of insurgency. How serious is the problem currently and
how is it affecting the Corporation's functioning here?
Ans : Frankly, I don’t find security related issues
constraining our operation here any more now except few pockets
like Baramura. I must compliment State administration and Police
forces here who gave us that confidence.
Question : Are you satisfied with the return you are getting
every year in comparison with the investment made by ONGC?
Ans : ONGC looks at all operations all over including
overseas, cumulatively. We may make losses at a particular
place, like
presently in Tripura, but those are generally due more to the
input cost of exploration activities compared to returns from
local market for our produce. You know as on today we have
limited market for gas here, so our returns are less. We feel
that natural resources need to be harnessed for economic
development of the State and the country as a whole. We are
focussed on that national perspective and hoping that sustained
losses could be mitigated in future with due appreciation of
emerging realities.
Question : What is your message to potential investors from
outside? What is the investment potential of our state? We seem
to be missing out as far as getting big investment from outside
is concerned. Why so?
Ans : ONGC and Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas have
been working hard to enhance gas availability and you would soon
see substantial increase. That should be one factor which would
lure investors. The other is security concern; I think Govt is
doing its best to bring about change at ground level by ensuring
peace. Once industries start coming, employment generation
opportunities would also improve thereby further reducing
migration of youth toward unlawful activities. That would
automatically bring in permanent peace and further development
of the State at an accelerated pace.
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