Adani Welspun Exploration Ltd. (AWEL), a joint venture between the Adani Group and Welspun Enterprises, has made a first-ever gas discovery in the NELP-VII block located in the Mumbai offshore basin.

Adani Welspun holds a 100 per cent participative interest and is the operator of this block. Spread across 714.6 square kilometres, the block is in the prolific gas-prone Tapti-Daman sector of the basin.

The company said that the pay zones and flow rates encountered had exceeded the company’s initial estimates.

“With the information gleaned from adjoining fields and areas, this discovery is of substantial significance for both the company and the nation. Early indications pointed to the occurrence of gas-bearing reservoirs within the sandstone reservoirs of the Mahuva and Daman formations”, Adani Welspun stated.

The company added that the drilling of the well in March 2021 confirmed the presence of substantial quantities of gas and condensate in the block.

Out of the three potential zones identified during drilling, two objects tested by drill stem testing flowed substantial gas and condensate to the surface.

One of the finds, a clean sandstone reservoir, flowed 9.7 million standard cubic feet per day of gas along with 378 barrels per day of condensate through a 28/64” choke at a flowing tubing head pressure of 2,659 psi.

The second, another thick, clean sandstone reservoir, flowed 9.1 mmscfd of gas along with 443 barrels per day of condensate through a 28/64” choke at an FTHP of 2,566 psi.

Sandeep Garg, managing director of Adani Welspun, said: “In addition to being value accretive for the company, this discovery could be a significant breakthrough for our nation, given India’s focus to nearly triple the share of natural gas in its energy mix by the end of this decade.

“The company is also an operator with a 100 per cent interest of an adjacent discovered small field B-9 cluster in this prolific gas-bearing zone. The proximity of these two prospective blocks will enable AWEL to synergise and optimise the development of both the blocks”.

This article is reproduced at www.offshore-energy.biz