Mangala’s 500-mn barrel contribution to Aatmanirbhar Bharat

This has been a momentous month for us at Cairn Oil & Gas – and our commitment to India’s energy self-sufficiency goals. Our Mangala oilfield, situated in the Barmer district of Rajasthan, recently achieved the landmark of producing 500 million barrels of oil, immensely contributing to India’s domestic crude oil production. At a time when the country is facing the twin challenges of rising oil import bill and dwindling forex reserves, every barrel of domestic oil production makes a significant contribution to nation-building. Today, as Mangala touches record output, the landmark stands as testimony to Cairn’s determination to double domestic production and make a stellar contribution to the Prime Minister’s vision of developing a truly aatmanirbhar India with autonomy in oil & gas production.

The early years

Back in 2004, on a cold winter night in the Thar desert of #Rajasthan, our exploration engineers, after 13 unsuccessful attempts, finally struck gold – just the news needed by a country that imports well above the majority of its #crude requirements. The fortuitous moment came after months of resolute efforts in harsh weather and terrain conditions typical of the Thar. Evaluating the 14% probability of finding 30 mmboe oil at Barmer vis-à-vis a 10% chance of finding 40 mmboe at Fatehgarh, the team at the headquarters zeroed in on Barmer and hit the ground running.

Every unsuccessful attempt only increased the resolve of the Cairn team, at a time when major offshore discoveries were being reported around the world and onshore finds were hard to come by. On the 14th attempt, the #Mangala block was discovered – not only as India’s largest onshore oil field but also as the largest find globally during that year. The discovery gave much-needed confidence that motivated successive finds in neighbouring Bhagyam and Aishwariya fields, thus, forming the trinity of MBA (Mangala, Bhagyam, Aishwarya). Put into production in 2009, Mangala’s output has grown over the years and the oil field has made a prolific contribution to boosting India’s energy security.

?

Committed to nation-building

The Mangala block, while augmenting India’s energy self-reliance, has also contributed more than $31.7 billion to the state and the national exchequer. After 13 years of prosperity and promise for more, the field has become a shining example of the key role crude oil can play in economic growth as well as socio-economic renaissance. The block of national significance is home to a number of global partnerships and technology firsts.

The field has been the first in the country to apply micro seismic hydrofrac monitoring technology and has executed the world’s largest jet-pump operation. It is also home to the world’s largest Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) polymer flood project and the world’s largest Alkaline Surfactant Polymer (ASP) project. These technology firsts have enabled the Mangala field to defy age and continue its contribution to India’s domestic crude production. The field also marks the starting point of the Mangala pipeline – the world’s longest continuously heated and insulated pipeline that carries crude from the fields of Rajasthan to refineries in Gujarat over a distance of more than ~700km. The Above Ground Installations (AGI) along the Mangala pipeline are now switching to solar energy and will be powered by solar panels installed across its length. As much as the Mangala field demonstrates Cairn India’s capabilities, it also reflects our commitment to nation-building.

?

New horizons

Responding zealously to the government’s progressive policies and proactive approach, we at Cairn are not only bringing the best practices in drilling technology and the finest human capital to our operations, but also catalyzing social initiatives to enable individuals and #empower communities. For instance, since Cairn commenced operations, the district of Barmer has registered a 650% increase in per capita income – well above the state as well as national averages. Initiatives across water, biodiversity, education, women & child development, etc., have touched the lives of crores of people, generating social and economic wealth.

On the business front, we have earmarked investments to the tune of USD 4-5 billion to ramp up oil and gas production through increased exploration and enhanced oil recovery, in pursuing our goal to contribute 50 per cent of India’s crude oil production by 2030. The surge in domestic production through existing and newly tapped reserves will eventually reduce the dependence on oil & gas imports to ensure an energy-secure future for India. In all our ventures, moving ahead, the Mangala field will feature prominently and will continue to drive the goal of energy security, as it has been doing since first oil.

This milestone at Mangala is a motivator that is driving us towards greater echelons of excellence. As a key partner to India’s bustling energy sector, we remain committed to the country’s immense hydrocarbon potential and its ability to drive overall economic growth and prosperity.