ONGC to Invest Rs 8,110 Cr for 172 Onshore Wells in Andhra

• ONGC to invest ₹8,110 crore for 172 wells in Andhra Pradesh
• Clearance granted with strict adherence to EIA/EMP measures
• No drilling near Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary; forest land use requires approval

Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC) is to invest ₹8,110 crore for the onshore development and production of oil and gas from 172 wells spread across eight Petroleum Mining Lease (PML) blocks in Andhra Pradesh.

The company has received ONGC green nod EAC for its Andhra project, planning ONGC ₹8110 crore investment to develop 172 ONGC onshore wells.

Environmental Clearance (EC) has found favorable recommendation by a committee constituted under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, during its meeting held in the last month. The initiative strengthens oil and gas exploration India, enhancing domestic energy production and infrastructure.

Expert Appraisal Committee stated, "The estimated project cost is ₹8110 crore. Capital cost of EMP (Environment Management Plan) would be ₹172 crore and recurring cost for EMP would be ₹91.16 crores per annum. Industry proposes to allocate ₹11 crores for commitments made in Public Hearing".

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In its recommendation, the committee insisted that Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) must comply with all the environment preservation measures and safeguards set out in the project document submitted to it.

This also includes the strict implementation of the recommendations in the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Environmental Management Plan (EMP) measures concerning environmental management, risk mitigation, and sustainable operational procedures.

The committee also brought under discussion the key commitments made by ONGC with regard to ecological safety. No drilling of wells is permitted within 10 km of Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary's ecologically sensitive zone, as per the No Objection Certificate (NOC) granted earlier this May; also, pipeline or any other infrastructure cannot be constructed over forest land or protected areas without the go-ahead of the competent authority.

Such provisions ensure that while energy development progresses, environmental conservation does not take a back seat, so that the project moves forward sustainably with minimal ecological impact in the region.