Chennai-based firm proposes to invest Rs.100 crore for gas exploration in KG Basin

The Chennai-based AVR Oil and Gas Private Limited has proposed to invest ₹100 crores to explore natural gas and develop three wells in the 24.2 square km area in the Krishna-Godavari basin in the Konaseema region in East Godavari district.

The onshore project includes developing three exploratory wells, a commission of an Early Processing System/Gas Production Unit (EPS-GPU), where the explored oil could be processed and supplied through a pipeline system, according to the Executive Summary report.

Exploration

Three wells, each to be drilled with a depth of 3000-4000 meters, will be developed onshore near Kesavadasupalem village in the Konaseema region. A pipeline would be laid for KG/OSDSF/GSKV1/2016 block in the KG Basin as part of the exploration.

The entire block boundary is coastline. The exploration activity will be carried out for two to five months at each well, where at least 40 personnel would be deployed.

AP Pollution Control Board Executive Engineer N. Asok Kumar told The Hindu, that the public hearing over the environmental impact would be conducted on the project at ZP high school campus at Kesavadasupalem in Sakthinetipalli Mandal on March 31.

The citizens are welcome to air their their objections, suggestions, and comments on the project and any possible impact on the environment and on their livelihoods by March 28. The public could also get access to the Executive Summary of the project and other details with all the revenue officials concerned in the district, Mr. Kumar said

However, there are claims that the mangrove cover located in the buffer zone of the project is highly disturbed and severely degraded.