“在陸上，我們或多或少地在大多數(shù)盆地進行了鉆探、評估或獲取了數(shù)據(jù)，”這家國有巨頭的勘探總監(jiān)Sushma Rawat在接受采訪時表示。“但在近海仍有大片區(qū)域，我們的數(shù)據(jù)非常稀疏，幾乎沒有鉆井。”
對原油需求迅速增長的印度迫切希望降低燃料進口費用，加強能源安全，并鼓勵國有控股的印度石油天然氣公司(ONGC)等公司加大對國內(nèi)石油和天然氣儲備的開發(fā)。這是一場賭博，如果成功，將為生產(chǎn)商和尋求減少海外依賴的政府帶來回報。
Rawat表示，ONGC計劃在即將到來的政府拍賣中積極競標，到2026年3月將其勘探面積從目前的約16.3萬平方公里增加到50萬平方公里。年度支出將從每年700億到800億盧比增加到1100億盧比(13億美元)。
對ONGC來說，推動勘探也是為了應(yīng)對產(chǎn)量下降。在截至去年3月底的10年里，石油產(chǎn)量下降了17.5%，至1960萬噸，而天然氣產(chǎn)量減少了10%多一點，至209億立方米，這使得印度容易受到進口成本飆升的影響。
ONGC占印度石油產(chǎn)量的66%，天然氣產(chǎn)量的58%。這部分是在近海，但在淺水區(qū)。唯一的深水生產(chǎn)項目是位于Krishna Godavari盆地的KG-DWN-98/2區(qū)塊。那里的原油產(chǎn)量將于5月開始，遠遠超過2019年的原定目標。
Rawat和ONGC的官員希望利用這一機會，試圖通過與?？松梨诠?、雪佛龍公司和道達爾能源SE建立一系列合作伙伴關(guān)系來加快努力。ONGC擁有該國一半以上的租賃勘探面積，這使其成為一個有吸引力的合作伙伴。
目前，ONGC面臨的挑戰(zhàn)是將廣泛的協(xié)議轉(zhuǎn)變?yōu)榍袑嵉目碧铰?lián)盟，伍德麥肯茲亞太區(qū)上游研究總監(jiān)Angus Rodger表示：“印度政府希望看到印度企業(yè)與最好的國際勘探公司之間出現(xiàn)新的合作伙伴關(guān)系。”
Rawat說，全球石油巨頭擔(dān)心與印度海上潛力相關(guān)的風(fēng)險，正在敦促印度政府提供更好的條件，包括增加仲裁條款，確保其財政制度的穩(wěn)定性和合法依規(guī)履行責(zé)任。
India’s Oil and Natural Gas Corp. is preparing to bet billions of dollars on deepwater and ultra-deepwater exploration, boosting spending in a push that could help one of the world’s top oil importing nations reduce reliance on overseas supply.
Onshore, we have more or less drilled, appraised or acquired data in most of the basins,” Sushma Rawat, Director of Exploration for the state-owned giant, said in an interview. “But there are still large tracts offshore where we have very sparse data, where almost no wells have been drilled.”
India, with a fast-growing appetite for crude, is eager to reduce its fuel import bill and bolster energy security and has encouraged companies like state-controlled ONGC to do more to tap domestic oil and gas reserves. It’s a gamble that, if successful, would yield rewards for producers and for a government looking to reduce its overseas dependence.
Rawat said ONGC plans to bid aggressively in upcoming government auctions to increase its exploration acreage to 500,000 square kilometers (193,050 square miles) by March 2026, from around 163,000 square kilometers today. Annual spending will rise to 110 billion rupees ($1.3 billion) from an annual 70 billion to 80 billion rupees.
For ONGC, the exploration push is also about countering a decline in production. In the decade to the end of March last year, oil output dropped 17.5% to 19.6 million tons, while gas shrank just over 10% to 20.9 Bcm — a decline that has left India vulnerable to surging import costs.
ONGC accounts for 66% of India’s oil output and 58% of its gas. That’s partly offshore, but in shallow waters. The only producing deepwater project is its KG-DWN-98/2 block in the Krishna Godavari basin. Crude oil output there is due to start in May — well past the original target of 2019.
Rawat and officials at ONGC want to leverage the opportunity, trying to speed up efforts by striking a string of partnerships with Exxon Mobil Corp., Chevron Corp. and TotalEnergies SE. ONGC holds just over half of the country’s leased exploration acreage, making it an appealing partner.
Now the challenge for ONGC is to turn broad agreements into tangible exploration alliances, said Angus Rodger, upstream research director for Asia Pacific at Wood Mackenzie: “The Indian government wants to see new partnerships emerge, between Indian players and the best international explorers.”
The global oil majors, wary of the risks associated with India’s offshore potential, are pushing for better conditions from the Indian government, Rawat said, including with the addition of clauses on arbitration, reassurance around the stability of the fiscal regime and on criminal liability.
