Kolkata: In a significant step towards emerging as a hydrocarbon-producing state, the Bengal govt has recently granted petroleum exploration and mining leases to the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) in Murshidabad, Nadia, North 24 Parganas and East Burdwan districts.Presenting the budget for the department of industry, commerce and enterprises in the assembly on Tuesday, industry minister Tapas Roy said the lease to ONGC — under the Petroleum and Natural Gas Rules, 2025 — was for exploring a block covering 2,872.6 sq km across Murshidabad, East Burdwan and Nadia.“The state exchequer will receive royalty and revenue in accordance with the executed revenue sharing contract,” he said.The minister added that a petroleum mining lease has been approved for ONGC’s NELP block (WB-ONN-2005/4) in Ashoknagar field, spread over nearly 99 sq km in North 24 Parganas, for commercial extraction of crude oil and natural gas.The Ashoknagar project is expected to generate nearly Rs 104 crore in royalty for the state govt, putting Bengal on India’s hydrocarbon production map. Commercial production from the Ashoknagar field will also elevate Bengal Basin from a Category III to a Category I sedimentary basin.A Category III basin indicates the presence of hydrocarbons without proven commercial production, while a Category I basin signifies established commercial production of crude oil and natural gas.While boosting Bengal’s energy security, Roy said the twin initiatives will attract fresh investments in the upstream petroleum sector and create employment opportunities in exploration, production and associated industries.The minister also informed the assembly that 798 km of gas pipelines was currently being laid under the City Gas Distribution network by GAIL (India) Ltd, involving a cumulative investment of Rs 5,322 crore. This would facilitate the growth of CNG-based transport across Bengal, Roy added.Location tracking for mineral vehicles soonThe Bengal govt will introduce Vehicle Location Tracking Devices (VLTDs) in all vehicles transporting minor minerals across the state to curb illegal mining and improve regulatory oversight. Industry minister Tapas Roy said on Tuesday the system will enable real-time monitoring of mineral consignments from extraction sites to designated destinations. The technology would act as a deterrent against unauthorised transportation, helping prevent revenue leakage, strengthen enforcement and ensure compliance with mineral dispatch permits, Roy added.
