Speaking to reporters ONGC MD and Chairman Subir Raha said, “We had launched a redevelopment program at Mumbai High in 2001, to increase our oil recovery and planned total investments of 80 billion rupees (US$1.75 billion). We hope to produce an additional 75 million tonnes of crude oil and oil-equivalent gas by 2030 through the redevelopment program from this, our largest field.”

“This year, we will be investing money in laying the two Mumbai High-to-Uran trunk pipelines, which will be the largest of their kind in the Asia-Pacific region. The 28 billion rupee (US$611 million) pipelines will link Mumbai High to Uran on the western coast. We are also planning to invest 10.48 billion rupees (US$229 million) on setting up nine well platforms in Mumbai High South, with five of these platforms will be set up during the current year,” he added.

The expansion program, thus far, has increased the field’s capacity by an additional 50,000 tonnes of oil and oil-equivalent gas.

On a separate note, Raha has lashed out at service contractors which he accuses of sabotaging projects by “seeking political intervention” when ONGC contracts are awarded.

“Some of these contractors have been working with ONGC for the last 30-40 years, and have been putting a spoke in our wheels time and time again by applying political pressure. This has resulted in a lot of time loss while awarding tenders, often resulting in the loss of an entire working season [and] we will take stern action against such contractors in future,” said Raha.

“The procedure for awarding contracts has been changed, and most vendors have responded positively to the changes. Others who contribute repeatedly to violent ethics and try to make the management change the terms of the contracts are the most vociferous in complaining that we are slow in awarding contracts. We will, in future, take the extreme step of banning these contractors,” he added.