Ashoknagar (West Bengal): Can this oilfield in West Bengal help the country tide over the ongoing energy crisis?
Commercial extraction of crude oil from Ashoknagar, about 48 km from Kolkata, in the North 24-Parganas district, is expected to start soon.
Oil and Natural Gas Commission (ONGC) had studied the site extensively in 2018 and declared that the oil field holds the best quality crude in the country. It was dedicated to the nation by then petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradhan in 2020.
According to estimates, the field contains reserves of more than 240 million barrels of crude oil. There is the possibility of more reserves being discovered in the neighbouring areas.
The matter has also gained significance as the new BJP government in power in West Bengal has assured economic development and jobs.
BJP MP Samik Bhattacharya met Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman in Delhi on Saturday and discussed measures to strengthen West Ben
gal’s economy, with special emphasis on starting oil production at the Ashoknagar field.
Bhattacharya highlighted the need for industrial revival in Bengal and said the Centre was committed to rebuilding the state’s economic strength, News18 reported.
He said the party had prepared a dedicated roadmap for Bengal’s development. “The Prime Minister has spoken about creating Sonar Bangla. We have a vision and a special plan for this,” he said.
Sitharaman understood how to guide Bengal’s economic recovery at a time when industries in the state had significantly declined, Bhattacharya said, adding that coordinated efforts between the Centre and various government departments could help Bengal regain its economic position.
It has been reported that drilling activity had begun at the Ashoknagar site earlier but was halted a few months before the Assembly elections because of local disputes and resistance in the area. Sources have now said that with the BJP taking over with a two-third majority, ONGC may face fewer obstacles in resuming and completing the extraction work.
Increasing domestic crude production could help India reduce dependence on imported oil over time, experts believe.
If production does start at Ashoknagar, it would be the first such activity in the country’s east. The financial impact would be major for the entire region.