Vedanta Ltd subsidiary Cairn Oil & Gas on Wednesday announced that it has commenced production from its tight oil project at Aishwariya Barmer Hill (ABH) in Rajasthan.
The Aishwariya Barmer Hill is India's largest lateral fracking programme. “The project is a first in Cairn’s tight oil portfolio with a growth potential to contribute 20 per cent to the company’s vision production,” the firm said in a statement. Tight oil is a light crude found in sedimentary rock formations such as shale or tight sandstone.
“The ABH tight oil project is… a testament to India’s hydrocarbons potential, wherein we have been successful in enhancing production from ageing fields,” Prachur Sah, Deputy CEO, Cairn Oil & Gas, Vedanta Ltd said. “We will continue to explore ways in which we can add to domestic production of crude oil and advance the nation towards energy self-sufficiency.”
It took more than 900 days and over 3 million man-hours to complete the entire surface facility, including activities like hot work, equipment erection, hydro testing, hot tapping, commissioning, electrical system charging, tie-in with a live existing facility, and well hookup, the statement said. The project has been executed in collaboration with Schlumberger.
The ABH development is the largest horizontal well with multi-frac development campaign of 37 wells in the Indian subcontinent, which is the key enabler to unlock tight oil, the statement added.